


They're Gonna Eat Me Alive

by t0bemadeofglass



Category: Marvel (Movies), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Dark, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Asshole Nick Fury, Background Clint Barton/Phil Coulson, Background Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, F/M, Forced Pregnancy, Hiatus, I Don't Even Know, M/M, Multiple Pairings, Rape/Non-con References, Woobie Natasha Romanov, dub-con, slight artistic license with the Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamics, whump!Natasha Romanov
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-01
Updated: 2013-10-26
Packaged: 2017-12-16 17:40:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/864795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/t0bemadeofglass/pseuds/t0bemadeofglass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Since they Wolves had moved closer, however, the losses slowed, and the people of the town finally breathing free, fresh air, unburdened with the fear of the shades. Children could go out and play without worrying about being caught, and the fires burned brighter each night as the town began to try and limp on.<br/>They’d never anticipated on the Wolves making demands as well. "</p><p>In order to keep peace between his clan of Werewolves and the village they now reside next to, Nick Fury demands one tribute be given to his pack, to never return to their village again.  Natasha Romanov, ironically, happens to be unlucky enough that red hair is seen as a good luck sign and is chosen as said tribute.  What Fury has planned, however, is far worse than simply keeping her there.  </p><p>Read the tags!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well then, here we are once more. Fair warning: the tags are just about anything and everything you can expect from this story, save a few twists and turns I have planned that I'd like to remain a secret until we get there. And another fair warning: this is likely going to get dark; I've never done a whump/woobie character before, so it'll also be interesting for me to write, but I hope I do at least a decent job at it.  
> First chapter's going to be more or less an introduction, and then we'll get into the darker stuff as it goes on.  
> Either way, if this is your cup of tea then I hope you enjoy, and thank you so much for reading!  
> Unbeta'd; all my mistakes are my own.

The town had been losing people far too quickly for nothing to be done about it, though there were no suggestions of how to best fix the problem.  Often the count ranged from one to three people missing per day of varying ages and genders, and all knew that their small town couldn’t afford to lose many more.  The worry could be read in the faces of the village council, the tear stains on the faces of mothers, fathers, and children without prejudice as they realized their family members would never be seen again.  It could be seen in the lessening food stores and thinning livestock and children, and the pressure grew with each passing day, and just the same there was a feeling of unease each member of the town wondering just who would be taken.  

They showed up not too long after the second month had passed and the people were getting desperate.  Where they’d come from no one seemed to know, only that they’d set up their own huts and homes just a mile down the forest line that connected the two small civilizations.  The inhabitants were nothing like what the others had ever seen, terrifying enough to make sure that all others stayed away from the newcomers, avoided their paganistic rituals every night on the full moon, ignored the way they seemed to keep wild dogs around day after day to scrounge up scraps.  

And then there was the changes.  These were impossible for the other townsfolk to ignore, their bodies trembling as the howls rang through the night, cutting through the usually still darkness as a hot knife through butter might.  They could see the abnormally sized wolves prowl through the forest, even without the need of the full moon, and all knew better than to step anywhere near them, no matter how understanding their eyes seemed to be.  

“That’s how they get you,” one of the wise women crowed to the children sitting in front of her.  “You look into their eyes and they have you under the Devil’s spell; you’ll be turning into a monster along with them and turn on all those you love.  Don’t look them in the eyes, and don’t you touch them, neither!”

Since they'd moved closer, however, the losses slowed, and the people of the town finally breathing free, fresh air, unburdened with the fear of the shades. Children could go out and play without worrying about being caught, and the fires burned brighter each night as the town began to try and limp on.  

They’d never anticipated on the Wolves making demands as well.  

 

The town inhabitants had been told to gather in the square that evening for a celebration, though Natasha very much doubted the wording on that.  A celebration implied that they would be happy to be there, that smiles would be present on everyone’s faces, that they could laugh and joke and play without fear of retribution.  This gathering that had been planned would have nothing of the sort.  It was a way of being rounded up, as far as Nat was concerned, and she swallowed hard as she looked at herself in the mirror, trying to think of some other way to cover herself up.  She’d already adopted her most worn looking dress, the deep blue fabric fraying at the bottoms, and she’d tied her hair back to try and keep the mane of red locks in control.  Not that it worked.  

“Are you nearly ready yet?” Alexei asked from the other side of the door, coming into the room as he started to button his shirt up, brown eyes looking over at Nat.  She swallowed hard and nodded, ignoring the sinking feeling in her stomach.

“Do we have to go?” She asked, voice quiet as she looked up and over at him.  She knew he hated this as much as she did and, well, maybe he’d thought of an excuse for them to leave early.  Or not go at all.  

His gaze turned sympathetic as he looked over at her, brow loosening as he stepped closer to put a hand on her shoulder.  “I’m afraid so, Nat.”  He kissed her forehead.  “We’ve been promised that the consequences will be severe to those who attempt to stay behind.  We’ll go for an hour or such, make an appearance, and say that you’ve grown ill, how is that?”  He tried for a smile, large hand squeezing her shoulder.  

She nodded, supposing that was the best that they could’ve hoped for, and when he offered she took his hand to step out into the now falling evening.  The fires were already burning bright in the center of the town, the scent of roasted deer and pig filling the air.  There were no cries of children running around and playing, however, no music that usually accompanied such grand get togethers, no dancing or loud talk shared over beer and fresh bread.  No, the conversations were muted and punctuated by nervous looks, the men’s arms wrapped around their wives’ waists to keep them close, or else clasped around the wrists of their children to prevent them from being taken.  The guests of honor, who’d demanded this feast, had not yet arrived, and Natasha couldn’t help but hope they’d changed their minds about it.  Maybe they’d even left.  That would make her smile and ease her troubled stomach.  

She was not so lucky, however, and a soft hush fell over the town as the first of the new company stepped forward out of the shadows.  One man, taller than most Nat had seen in her life, led them.  Though he had an eyepatch over one of his eyes his gaze was the most piercing Nat thought she’d ever seen, and the way he moved--all sinew and grace and practically screaming that he was not normal, he was not human.  They all walked like that, their gait more relaxed and yet infinitely more dangerous that Natasha was sure she could imagine, while their eyes were as wild as the beasts they were said to change into and their numbers well into the fifties or sixties, fewer than Natasha would have expected though it didn’t comfort her at all.  Goosebumps itched their way up her skin, making her run her hands over her exposed arms and turn away, pressing her head into Alexei’s chest, shoulders hunching together as she tried to make herself seem as small and inconspicuous as possible.  Maybe that would keep them away, though she was loathe to seem weak all the same.  She didn’t want them to think she would be an easy target.  The man at the lead said some words with the council, who Alexei murmured didn’t look too happy to be there, and Natasha couldn’t blame them.  If she’d been in their position she’d have lost her mind, first with the disappearances and then with the newest intruders?  Hell, she couldn’t figure out how many of them hadn’t just left the town out of desperation.  

“I don’t want to be here,” she murmured against Alexei’s chest as he rubbed her back.  Her head lifted so she could look at him.  “Can’t we just say I got sick now?”

His lips spread to offer her an answer when the seat to the side of Natasha creaked as someone sat down.  She turned and swallowed hard to come face to face with one of the intruders.  He was brown-eyed, grinning as though he had a joke in mind, and had a small goatee that in no way matched the wild look in his eyes.  

“Hey there; what’s a pretty thing like you doing sitting down?  We’re going to start dancing soon.”  His confidence was overbearing, and rather than entice her it only made Natasha scoot farther back.  His eyes flicked from her face to Alexei’s, which Nat was sure had been twisted to resemble displeasure of some sort.  Her husband hated interruptions.  

“I’m sorry, sir, I’m not feeling well,” she said, her voice cool as she forced herself to straighten her spine and meet his eyes.  He seemed to have expected her to play along immediately with what he’d offered but she wasn’t going to.  He could move on and find a new partner for all she cared; she wanted nothing to do with him or his people.  

“No?  Then perhaps some food is what you need.”  He smirked and looked over at Alexei.  “Go get her some, will you?  Your woman needs to be fed and looked after; surely you’re capable?”

Nat could practically hear the indignant shouts ricocheting around in Alexei’s head, but he gritted his teeth and stood to get plates.  Her hand clenched his, begging him without words not to go, but he shook her off and disappeared.  The man beside her couldn’t have looked any more pleased with himself, eyes setting back on Nat once he was content that they were alone.  

“The name’s Tony.  Tony Stark.”

“Natasha,” she murmured, keeping her eyes away from him as she watched Alexei disappear into the crowd.  She didn’t like the way they were all looking at him, as though he was just a walking piece of meat waiting to be slaughtered and strung up over the fire like the animals they’d brought earlier that day.  The idea made her shiver, and Tony caught the movement, the corners of his lips flicking upwards.  

“Do we frighten you, Natasha?” He asked, leaning back with his elbows against the table as he extended his legs out in front of him, dark eyes ransacking hers.  

She swallowed back her immediate answer.  Yes, they terrified her.  The whole concept that they even existed, that such creatures could manifest themselves so quickly and pull themselves out of the stories her mother had once told to her as she grew up, of monsters and goblins and elves, greatly worried her.  Instead she stiffened her spine and hardened her features, throwing a glare in Tony’s direction.  They thought they could intimidate her?  Get her to confess her fear then feed off of it?  Absolutely not.  “No.  You merely set me on edge.  I don’t like intruders who pretend to be friends, when for all I know you’ve got a knife in your other hand waiting to stab me in the back.”

Tony’s laugh was more of a bark than anything else, jerking Nat’s nerves to the very edge.  “Is that how you see us, then?  Traitors, monsters even?” He smirked, the words more of a joke to him than anything else.  Well it wasn’t funny to Natasha, and if these beasts ever betrayed her and her village it wouldn’t be funny then, either.  

“I don’t trust you.  Any of you.”

“You don’t know any of us.”

“Must one know another to distrust them?  I would have thought that distrust was bred easily between strangers.”

“Even easier between the best of friends,” Tony countered.  His lips were still spread in their very wide grin and he extended one hand to cup the side of Natasha’s cheek, pulling her so that she could look at him.  “What has the world done to such a beautiful face to make you so jaded and so fierce, I wonder.”

She jerked away from his hold, getting to her feet.  Rules be damned, she was leaving.  “It’s none of your business,” she snarled, eyes narrowed as she turned on her heel to disappear back to her house.  No one had said a thing about having to stay for the full duration after all.  

His hand shot out to grasp her wrist, grip stronger than she had been anticipating so when she tried to wrench herself free a low cry of pain left her lips, his fingers tightening dangerously, all but grinding her bones together.  “You have to stay,” he growled, his voice rumbling with something a little deeper, a sort of insistence she wanted to shake off but found herself unable to do so.  Her feet remained planted in the ground, so that even if she wanted to move she was certain she couldn’t, and she closed her eyes tightly as she tried to calm her heart down from its newly panicked state.  

“Nat?”  Alexei’s voice just behind her made her relax a little, and she turned to throw him the best smile she could muster at the moment.  He’d come back with food, as promised, though just for himself and his wife, and after returning the smile he took a seat where he’d been before.  Tony had released Natasha’s arm not a moment later, allowing her to sit between the two dark-haired men, though she distanced herself as much as possible from the intruder.  It only took a few minutes of that, and him vigorously questioning Alexei, before the man grew bored and left them.  

“I’ll see you later,” he said to Nat, winking before he crossed back over to his own people.  Not soon after he’d done that then she felt more pairs of eyes moving to stare at her back.  She shivered, what little appetite she’d had disappearing as she pushed her plate further away from her and wrapped her arms instead around her waist.  

“Do you want to try and leave?” Alexei murmured in her ear, a loud cry going up from the guests to bring music and a band out so they might have something more lively.  Perhaps in the hysteria and chaos that would follow they could lose themselves he suggested to Natasha.  

She nodded, eager to get the hell out of there, though she still felt herself being watched.  One man, his hair long and his eyes a bright green, seemed to stick out from the rest of them.  While the mass of newcomers were bulky, brawny, and tanned this man was pale, lithe, and couldn’t have been any more different from the blond, bearded and massive man to his left, currently clapping him on the shoulder, as though someone had taken his exact opposite and made him real.  What was more there was something familiar about him, though perhaps it was just the way he held himself, or how he separated himself from those around.  

Either way she couldn’t help but wonder why was it that he was still watching her?  Brazenly, she met his eyes, her own narrowed in dislike, but not even that was enough to make him turn away.  If anything it only enticed him further, and the small smile that ghosted over his lips was enough to make her turn away.  The band had just started to play, having been set up in haste, and to no one’s surprise the visitors were the first to take their places around the fire.  They moved and weaved in such a way that made Natasha nauseous to watch.  It was nothing like the more civilized dances their own town had, this one too sudden and rowdy, their feet practically a blur as they bounced and stepped around one another, grinning and laughing too loudly to the sky.  To those used to the propriety and subtleties of their own steps it was practically erotic, and many women turned away to flush.  Natasha simply found herself entranced and at the same time disgusted with herself, and with those participating.  How could they be so base and so common?  The women practically flung themselves at the men, who wrapped thick arms around their waists to pull them in for kisses that looked as though they might start fucking at any moment.  Even Alexei looked taken aback by the vulgarity of it all, and Nat turned her face to look back where they’d come from, their tiny house out somewhere in the darkness, away from this disgusting behavior.  Perhaps if she could just excuse herself to the bathroom they could manage to make it out--.

“Excuse me, I have an announcement to make.”  The voice boomed louder than any Natasha had ever heard before, demanding attention and compliance that she was unable to stop herself from giving, head turning back to face the man so quickly it pained her.  The leader, the one that Natasha had first noticed, had stood up from his place at the village council table.  Instantly the band silenced itself, the intruders stopped dancing, and all eyes were turned onto the man.  

“My name is Nick Fury, and I am my clan’s leader.  Our reasoning for showing up here today, and insisting on this feast, was to express our condolences for your recent losses and to offer our protection up to your village.  None shall harm it while one of his still breathes, and we give you our word to not break our vows and to avenge those whom you have lost.”  

A low murmur went up around the villagers, those living in the town speaking quickly and quietly to one another while the outsiders just smirked, as though they knew something was about to happen.  From up at the table, nearest to Fury, Tony was smirking, too.  His eyes found Natasha’s and the wink he shot her was enough to make her stomach drop to the ground.  

“Let’s go.  Now,” she whispered to Alexei, her mouth pressed to his ear so there would no mistaking what she said.  He looked puzzled but nodded, his hand squeezing hers as they rose.  Over them, Nick Fury was still talking.  

“However this comes with a price.  We demand that only one of you leave your village and come to live with us.  They will never come back except to visit when the pack does, but you will have peace.  Refuse our offer, and you will find your losses greater than ever with no chance for solace.  This is a one time bargain.”

Natasha’s brain had barely dissected the information, she and Alexei so close to the border, where the light from the fires mixed into the dark of the night around them, when she heard the council accept.  

 

“You cannot leave.”  The hand that met her shoulder was strong, pale, and belonging to the man that she’d been staring at before, Natasha discovered when she’d turned around, and again she was struck by how oddly familiar he felt.  There was no strength in his demand as there had been when Tony had commanded her to stay, but something about the way he talked made her want to listen.  Perhaps it was the gentle lilt of his words or the way his green eyes seemed to capture her attention in full as well as the will of her legs.  

“Then we name Natasha Romanov as our choice.” Nick Fury uttered, catching Natasha’s attention again.  Her head whirled as she tried to process it all, bile rising in her throat as she looked back to Alexei.  In the dark shadows he’d managed to step into, Nat only a couple away, his eyes went wide and filled with terror.  He reached out to take her hand once more, but she was dragged away before his fingers could gain purchase on hers.  

“No--Natasha!” He shouted, stepping back forward to grab at her when a pair of burly men stepped forward to keep him back, one growling a threat that seemed to infuriate him further.  He would his hand back to punch the man in the nose but was stopped by a hand twisting his wrist backwards, far too fast for any human to have moved.  Nat screamed for her husband, the man at her side exchanged for another, the one she’d seen talking next to the dark-haired one earlier in the evening.  His hand was strong as it took her shoulder and pulled her to the front of the clearing, away from her husband who was being led far away from the congregation.  Natasha flailed, trying to land a blow to the blond man’s face, arm, whatever, as he all but dragged her away, his chuckle infuriating her more than anything else had ever done.  

“Let go of me you oaf,” she snarled, connecting one hand with his face as she tried to claw his nose off.  He simply tipped his head back before grasping both of her arms.  As quick as a blink she was strung up over his back, his hands holding onto the backs of her knees tight, never breaking stride as he stepped closer.  Tears stung Natasha’s eyes as she beat on his back, trying to do anything and everything to make him stop, screaming at the top of her lungs as she ordered him to let her go.  Her voice broke, body trembling, as he ignored her and made his way through the darkness and away from her home, her husband, and everything she’d known.  

Not one person stopped him, turning their heads and ignoring her cries as though they didn’t know her.  

 

She’d gone quiet as they drew further away from her home, the tears having stopped falling some time ago to give way to a growing sense of dread that choked her further.  

“I can walk you know,” she growled up at the beast of a man carrying her.  His whole body shook with a laugh as he stopped moving and slowly laid her down on the ground.  Before she could move far his boot came to stand on her chest, keeping her down and staring up into the stormy eyes of the man above her.  

“Don’t try and run little one.  I will catch you and it will not end well for you,” he said, voice the low rumble she often associated with an oncoming storm, before he reached down to grab her by the hand and hoisted her up onto her feet.  Despite every bone in her body telling her to ignore what he’d said and sprint into the forest she couldn’t.  He would find her, likely being more familiar with the forest than she was and, well, she looked him up and down and decided it wasn’t worth it to see whether or not he would change.  So she followed him grudgingly back to his own encampment.  There were more people there, mostly women, and though Natasha had expected to see more than just that.  She couldn’t think of a possible explanation for why there were so many able bodied men and women and yet not even a child was present, her eyes searching as quickly as she could while her guide led her to a small house near the edge of what would be considered their town.  Given the size of it, spreading out even further than Natasha’s own town, she was taken aback by just how much they’d gotten accomplished in such little time that they’d been there.  

“Did you all build this yourself?” She asked the man.  He nodded, smiling as he led her closer, allowing her a better look at the other ones that had been built close to her own.  Why?  Each other house had been spread apart but this?  The others were hardly a hundred yards away.

“Yes, we built all of it.”

“That must have taken months.”

“Not quite.”  The man said with a shrug.  “The work is quick when you have so many able hands.”  He pushed open the door.  It was little more than a bedroom with a bathroom added to the side, the bed larger than it should’ve been for just one person and pressed against the corner of one side of the room, while the kitchen was on the opposite side, a small table just beside a stove and countertop. “This is to be your home, Natasha.  If you need something we’ll be more than happy to provide it for you, but there will be food provided for you daily, and water provided for baths if you wish it.  There is clothing already prepared for you,” he said, stepping into the small house to show her a small chest of clothing.  “But there will be more fitted for you specifically as you stay here longer.  Do you know how to sew and cook for yourself?”

“Yes.”  Of course she did; she wasn’t useless, but there was a great deal more she knew how to do.  She would keep that a secret as long as she could.  They’d seen her fight a little, but they didn’t know what her adopted father had taught her.  Perhaps if she was able to be alone, with one of the less imposing men--such as the one who had stopped her before--she could overthrow him and make her way to freedom.  It was at least a hope, one she was going to cling to until proven otherwise.  

“Thank you for this . . .”

“Thor,” the man gave her a small smile, turning to look at her.  He clasped her shoulder with one hand before retreating.  “A pleasure to meet you, my lady.  Fury will be in here soon enough to explain the, ah, conditions of your stay.  I’ll see you soon.”  

The smile on his lips made her blood go cold as the winter wind and she swallowed down her bile as she tried not to scream and throw up with nerves at the same time.  He didn’t say another word other than that, simply turned from her to disappear out of the house.  When he closed the door she heard something click from the outside, and when she rushed to the door she found it was locked from the outside.  The outside!  How could they do something like that to her?  She let out a cry of anger, one fist banging on the door, before she collapsed onto the ground with her head in her knees, trying to draw a shaky breath.  

“Natasha.”  The voice was quiet, barely heard over the pounding of her heart.  It was familiar, sweet and litlting with an accent she couldn’t recognize.  “Natasha be strong.  Don’t give in; I’ll find a way to help you.”  

“Who are you?” She asked, looking over from where the voice was coming from behind the door.  “Why are you helping me?”

“My name is Loki,” he murmured, though he gave her no other information aside from being brother to the man that had carried her.  The name matched up in her mind with the face of the thin man she’d seen talking to Thor.  

“I know you,” she said quickly.  “How is it I know you if you are a Wolf?”  

He didn’t answer, and though she called out for him, hissing his name over and over again no other sound came.  Nothing except the pounding of boots on the steps leading to her door and the click in the lock, that was.  

She’d barely had time to scramble away before the door burst open, and it would’ve hit her if she hadn’t backed up away from it.  Her eyes narrowed to see the man who’d called out her name standing above her, making her quick to scramble to her feet.  

“You,” she seethed.  It was his fault she was here right now, his fault and his damn people’s fault.  “Get out of here.  Leave me alone--haven’t you done enough damage to my life yet?”

“There are a few things I need to explain to you first, then I’ll get out,” Fury said, his eye narrowed as he glared down at her, clearly not appreciating her open hostility.  “Believe me, if I did not have a mighty need for the role you’re about to provide I’d not have brought any of you imbeciles here.  I do not enjoy polluting my race with your presence.”

Oh, that made her feel so much better.  “Then why the hell did you bring me here?  Just take me back and find someone else like you, of your race,” she growled.  “Let me go home.”

“I cannot do that as our contract of safety and protection of your town now lies in your presence here, and I would not do it either way.  There’s a reason we made those demands of your people and you’ll have a part to play in all of it.”  He assured her.  Without waiting for an invitation he took a seat at her table, his hands folded in front of him as he took her in.  “You may want to sit down for this.”

“I’m fine right where I am,” Nat insisted, grinding her teeth.  She would not play along with his high handed act, not for anything less than her freedom.  “What do you want?  What part do I have to play--spit it out.”

His face twitched and his eye narrowed.  When he spoke next his voice was a low growl, menacing and would have sent Natasha cowering if she’d have been any less determined to not look weak.  “I’ll not be told what to do and what not to do.  You humans have an arrogance that astounds me, never knowing how to address your betters until the time has passed and all you are is rude and ungrateful.  I could have slaughtered your whole village without so much as a second thought, and I could’ve made you watch the whole thing.  I didn’t have to provide them protection or their lives but I did.  So when you address me you’d best show me respect, girl.”

She bit the inside of her cheek, torn between apologizing and staying defiant.  In the end, she bent her head a little, swallowing her apology down hard.  She’d not go that far, she’d decided, and for once Fury didn’t seem to care.  

“Now, as I was going to say: you’ve been brought here because we’ve encountered a bit of a problem with my people.  Because we’ve been around so long and have kept the bloodlines as pure as we possibly can, it seems that our women have gone barren, and we cannot, as you say “simply bring in another of my race” because there are not many whom exist.  Those who do have all experienced the same problem.  This is where you come in.”  He smirked, watching her face pale.  “A half human, half wolf, should the child survive, will bring new blood into the gene pool, strengthening us and the children that they may have.  You will be the one to provide those children.”

“I’ll never carry your children,” she snarled, heart leaping into her throat as she took a few steps back.  No, no no no this wasn’t happening--she couldn’t do this again!  She couldn’t go back to the life that Ivan had once made her a part of, long before he’d forced her to marry Alexei.  She’d die first.  

“Oh they won’t be mine,” he said with a laugh, head tipping back.  “No.  I’ve compiled five of my strongest men, the most virile.  You’ll be passed between them to see who can impregnate you first, and depending on how strong that child is you may be mated to that man, or you may be passed between them again.”

“I can’t get pregnant and I’ll not be whored out just so you can gain your sick amusement from watching me be passed from man to man,” she cried, covering her mouth with her hand to stop herself from choking.  This wansn’t happening--it couldn’t be happening.  

“I think you’ll be surprised that, while a human may not be able to impregnate you we are infinitely stronger,” Fury opposed.  “And besides.  You’re lucky.  Something will happen to stop you from having to endure it if it is truly that rough.”

Lucky?  What the hell was he talking about?  Nothing in her life had been lucky, and it didn’t look as though it would get any better.  

“Your hair.  The red is a symbol of good luck.  Apart from your strength and your vivacity when dealing with Tony Stark it was what set you apart from the others.  Thank your good parents for that.”  He stood up and made his way to the door.  

“Please, please don’t do this to me--I can’t do this,” she cried, reaching out to pull him back and turn him around, possibly throttle him if she could.  Maybe if a little sense was beaten into his skull.  But as she raised a hand to hit him he caught it and flipped her around, pressing her front up hard against the wall of her house and twisting her arm so hard she screamed, amazed it hadn’t snapped yet.  

“I’m doing what’s best for my clan, for my people.  I don’t give a damn about you or what this does, but I suggest you get real comfortable with the idea Natasha,” he growled.  “It’ll be much worse off for you if you don’t.”  

When he released her she slid down the wall to her knees and the door slammed behind him, the lock clicking once more.  For the first time since she was a child Natasha let herself openly dissolve into tears, her hands covering her face as her body heaved, the promise of Loki forgotten in the dread that now settled on her shoulders.  

 


	2. Chapter 2

Natasha didn’t leave her house for days.  As Thor had promised her food was delivered three times a day, meat and milk and fruit, but she barely ate, picking at the fruit more than anything else.  She felt herself weakening, her reaction times much slower than ever, but she couldn’t bring herself to eat much else, constantly feeling sick whenever anything passed her lips, so she kept it as light as possible. More than once there was a knock on the door, a voice calling out to her to ask permission to enter, sometimes male, sometimes female, but never one she knew, and she never said a word in response, waiting until they would leave.  They never forced their own entrance, for which Natasha was very grateful.  She didn’t want to see anyone, or talk to anyone--as far as she was concerned she could stay in her house until she died.  From time to time she’d open the window, though it was always during the day to welcome in the sun.  Never at night.  The howling was bad enough through the closed windows and walls, she didn’t need it even louder.  Already she shook and felt sick at the noise each night when they gathered and went out.  There were shouts and snarls and enough screams between the beasts to fuel her nightmares for as long as she lived.  Most nights she didn’t end up sleeping, adding hallucinations to what was ending up being wrong with her as well.  She would see Ivan standing in the corner of the room, leering over at her with the same face he employed while watching men violate her over and over again.  If she could’ve cried she might have after the first hallucination, but since the first night her eyes have been incapable of producing so much as the smallest of tears, as though they’d run out of a lifetime supply from the first day when she’d cried herself from evening to evening, unable to find solace even in sleep.  

A week passed in that fashion until Natasha saw a small ray of light.  The knock at the door to signify that breakfast had been brought was different this time, softer, less intrusive.  Usually a woman with long black hair brought her food, her brown eyes always taking Natasha in as though she were catalouging her to report what findings there were to the others, but this time when Nat opened the door a man stood in her place, the same on she’d found so familiar from before.  Loki, he’d called himself, and though he wore a smile on his face Natasha couldn’t help but shrink back.  She wasn’t too apt to trust men at the moment.  

“I brought you food,” he murmured.  “Might I come in?”

“No.  I don’t want you raping me,” she muttered, taking the tray of food from him and moving to shut the door.  He stuck his foot in between before she could, wincing when she tried to slam it shut.  

“I can’t,” he said.  “I’m not allowed to touch you like that.  Alpha’s orders.”

The last words meant very little to Natasha, and so her gaze turned skeptical when she peeked through the door again, one eyebrow arched as though to ask him if he was joking.  Why the hell would she trust him?  Yes he’d promised to get her out, but who was to say that he’d ever follow through with it?

“Who’s Alpha?”

“Nick Fury.  He’s the head of our clan. Anything that he says goes, especially if you’re an Omega like me.”  He winced, though Natasha again had no idea what that meant.  But there was sincerity in his voice, and when she reached out to touch him, to take him by the shoulder and stare into his face to try and detect a lie, she found nothing dangerous or deceitful.  

“Will you tell him what we talk about, or anything about me?”

“He doesn’t listen to me,” Loki said with a quiet chuckle.  “So there’d be no point.”

A brief pause.  Natasha’s mind whorled, trying to go through every possible scenario. “Come in,” she finally murmured, stepping back and relinquishing her death-grip on the door.  She left it cracked after he’d made it past the threshold, not wanting to lock him in entirely.  It would feel too final, then, and for all his claims that he wasn’t there to do what Nick Fury had said would happen it didn’t mean she could trust him entirely.  Did it?  Just how good were the words of Wolves anyway?  These questions only added to the mess in her head, making her all too confused as to how to address Loki.  The man didn’t say anything at first, sitting instead at the table and offering her the seat opposite him.  She watched his eyes take in the way her cheeks had sunken in a little bit, the dark rings she was sure lined her eyes, and it was more than likely he’d taken in the way her fingers were shaking as she tried to steady them on the wooden table.  He offered her the food that had been brought along, and as ever all she could bring herself to do was pick at it.  

“So what do you want?” She finally asked, pushing the plate of everything else away.  Loki surveyed it for a moment, then crossed to her small stove.  He rummaged around underneath one of the cabinets to grab a pan and struck a fire on her stove.  While waiting for the pan to heat up he explained that he’d come to see how she was doing, that he’d heard she hadn’t come out but that she hadn’t had company, either.  “For which I’m very glad.”  He said as he offered her a small smile, picking up the two slabs of fresh beef and placing them in the hot pan, the fat sizzling immediately.  The smell was intoxicating, making Natasha’s stomach grumble in excitement.  She tried to cover it up with her own voice.  

“I don’t understand why.  I don’t know you.”  No matter if she thought she did; she had no memories of him, just the strange feeling that she knew him.  Why?  “You don’t owe me anything.”

“You’re wrong.  Maybe you’ve forgotten because it was a long time ago,” Loki murmured, turning his attention over to her quickly to look her up and down.  “But I can’t forget hair as red as yours.  When I was little we used to play together; Thor wouldn’t remember, the oaf can’t hardly think of what he has for breakfast.  All that matters to him are the fights and the feasting, but I do.  Our parents were still alive, and we were on the way to our new house when we stopped by in the village.  It was a warm day around halfway through the year, and it had just finished raining.  You had mud tracked all up and down your knees from where you’d been fighting--.”

“Some of the boys in the village,” she filled in with a smile, a little shocked she remembered, but the more she thought about it and the longer he talked the more it made sense.  “Ivan was so proud of me for having picked a fight and won, despite the boys being twice my size.”  Her smile was bittersweet at the memory.  It had been one of the few times as a child that her adoptive father hadn’t been furious with something she’d done.  

“He wasn’t the only one,” Loki added with a small smile.  “I can’t imagine a bigger impression was ever made on someone than the one you made on me.  We weren’t there for very long, yet I couldn’t keep my eyes off of you.  The way you held yourself, how you fought.  As someone who was constantly picked on by those who were bigger, well, you turned into something of a hero of mine.”  He said, his voice growing a little quieter.  He turned ever-so slightly to look at her, the beginnings of a smile quirking up his lips.  “And that’s why I need to help you.  I know you were wondering why I’d said what I had and yet not been able to do anything as of yet.  I’m sorry for how long it’s taken me to get here.”  He flipped the meat over and again the smell was enough to make Natasha’s stomach gnaw at itself, practically begging her to eat.  She tried to cover it up with a cough of her own, but the way Loki’s eyes had turned sympathetic was enough to assure her that he’d heard it.  

“You said you weren’t allowed to touch me like that,” Nat murmured, suppressing a shiver as best she could at what his words had implied.  He wasn’t allowed to, but Fury had said that he’d had several others in mind that could, and would, when given the chance.  “Why not?”

“Well, for one I’m not a full wolf.  I’m only half,” he murmured.  “My mother died when I was very young, and so my father took me with him to his other family.  Thor is my half brother, but while he is one of the stronger wolves I am not, and so am placed in the Omega category.  I submit and give those who are stronger what they want, even if genetically I do not go through the same calling that the others do.”  He didn’t look at her all the while he was talking, as though he knew she didn’t want him to see the way her eyes had gone wide at his words and the implications that heavily laced them.  He chose, instead, to focus on finishing cooking and plated up what he’d finished as soon as he was happy with it.  The larger steak went to Natasha, along with fork and knife, and though she thanked him for it she still wasn’t sure she could stomach it.  

“Why don’t you run away?” Nat asked once he’d started eating.  

The laugh that left his throat was quiet, darker than Natasha might have expected from such a question.  “This is my home.  All the family I have left is here; I couldn’t leave here if I wanted.  No matter how bad things get.  But you . . . you need to go back to your own home.  I know what they have planned for you, what Fury wants to happen, and I can’t let you go through that.  You put on a good face and pretend to be brave but you wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

“And you could?” Her words came out harsher than she’d meant them to, and her apology is muttered but followed quickly by: “You don’t have to.  Come with me when you help me escape and we can both get away from this tormented place.”

This time Loki didn’t say a word, simply chewed his food and swallowed before swallowing hard from a glass of milk he’d poured for himself.  Nat had refused it, not sure how the steak would react with her stomach and so hadn’t wanted to risk it.  

“I want to focus on getting you out first, then we’ll see what can be done about my situation.”  He sounded as though he was used to making bargains, especially ones he had no intention of keeping.  He might have thought her too weak to put up with whatever they had planned for him, but she was too good at reading a lie to have been tricked.  Fine.  He didn’t have to believe that he could escape with her, but she wasn’t about to let him stay behind.  “This time of peace where they’re all leaving you alone won’t last long.  Fury is extending the courtesy of being able to wait until you’ve better adjusted before offering you up to his men.  We may not be able to get you out of here before this peacetime is lifted, but getting you out at all is better than forcing you to stay.  Right?”

“Right,” Nat swallowed hard, trying to hold in her worry along with the few bites of her food she’d managed.  “So . . . what should I do when they come for me?” She wished she didn’t sound as terrified as she was, wished that there was some way to infuse her voice with more strength, and she tried to clear her throat in an attempt to sort herself out.  “I mean--they won’t come all at once, right?”

“Right,” Loki said.  “But they’ll be at Fury’s orders.  An Alpha’s command is nearly impossible to go against or ignore, so though Rogers and Barton may refuse at first they’ll be forced to come around.”

“Can’t I use that to my advantage?” Nat asked, curious.  “Emphasize that this is rape and non consensual.  It might not stop them but perhaps lessen the attack or the blow?”

Loki was silent, thinking it over.  “Rogers you won’t have to worry about being violent; the man is brawny but has a heart of pure gold.  Barton will likely get this done and over with as soon as he can.  Everyone knows that he’s in love with another, but they’re not allowed to be outright lovers because it is impossible for them to procreate.  Not to mention, Phil will not approve of what Fury is having done to you, so perhaps you will be lucky there as well.  Stark . . . I don’t think he’ll be much of a threat.  He’s never been one to turn down sex but he’ll at least try and make it enjoyable for you.  My brother the same.  As for Banner . . . just don’t infuriate him.  Trust me.  When he tells you to stop doing something, or he starts getting agitated, I suggest backing down immediately.  You don’t want to know what will happen when he grows furious.”

Right.  Keeping them all happy.  She breathed deep and closed her eyes, trying to shut out the memories of the past.  She could do it, she supposed.  She would have to do it.  She’d done worse, she tried to remind herself, shivering as an image of three men and one very, very sharp knife came back into her mind.  One of her hands subconsciously moved to her stomach; the scar still smarted every time she thought of it.  At least she had a jumpstart on the situation, had some kind of information that would make it at least a little easier on her, and she had a way out.  And a friend.  Her eyes skittered to where Loki was glaring at his steak, impaling it with the fork as he cut it into smaller pieces.  She couldn’t see the same ferocity in him that she did in the others, and because of that she reached out to him.  He was all she had now.  “Thank you, Loki,” she murmured as she rested her hand on his.  He paused to look at her, a small smile playing on his lips.  

“Of course.  I told you I would protect you, and I fully intend to.”  

The knock on the door stopped the pair of them where they were, and Natasha felt her stomach drop.  Loki’s eyes narrowed a little and the voice on the other end of the door gave a quiet laugh, one that the black haired man recognized and relaxed at almost immediately.  “Finally,” he murmured.    

“Loki, what are you doing in here?” The voice was feminine and easily put Natasha at ease.  A female couldn’t hurt her the way the other men could, and while she might not have trusted most females she could only hope that this one wouldn’t prove to be as traitorous as the ones before.  

“I simply brought Natasha breakfast, Sif.  You may come in,” he said, looking to Nat.  She nodded her head.  If Loki could trust this Sif, then so could Natasha.  She hoped.  

The woman that stepped in was tall, graceful and offered Natasha a considerate smile after she’d closed the door and turned to look at the pair.  “So. Natasha, it’s nice to meet you.  I’m Sif.”  SHe extended a hand.  “And Loki told me earlier that you might need a little help adjusting to Fury’s plan.  I’m here to help.”

“Oh,” Nat said, looking from Loki to the woman in front of them.  “Okay.  Loki was just telling me about the men that . . . I’ll be meeting.”  She swallowed hard the other words, the ones that threatened to make her throw everything up.  Sif’s gaze turned more sympathetic as she hummed quietly.

“Yes.  I’m here to teach you how to better make them happy so that they don’t take any aggressions out on you.”

Loki stood, as though her words were enough to tell him that he didn’t need to be there, and Sif looked relieved.  Nat couldn’t have felt anything but the opposite.  

“No, please don’t leave,” she said, reaching out to take his hand.  He stiffened under her hold, his green eyes finding hers as he turned around.  His smile was sad and his lips quick to press against her forehead.  

“I have to go appease the others,” he murmured. “I want their attentions off of you as long as possible--.”

“But you don’t have--.”

“Yes, I do.  Trust me, Natasha.  This is just a precaution,” he said as he motioned to Sif.  “In case we cannot get you out soon enough.  I want you to be as safe as possible, especially if the situation turns dour.  Sif is going to help you.”  He assured her.  It didn’t help the rising feeling of worry in Nat’s gut, but she told him that she understood anyway, not really having a choice, and watched him walk outside after thanking Sif.  

The woman waited until Loki had left and shut the door behind him to turn back to Nat.  She offered her a seat on the bed, pulling up a chair to sit opposite her.  “I’m sorry for what’s about to happen,” she said.  “With the other men, and what Fury is making you do.  He’s looking out for what’s best for the clan, but he’s not exactly mindful of the wants and needs of others.  The men he’ll have coming after you may not be as vicious or like-minded as Fury is, but they will do their best to get you pregnant, meaning they’ll come to you as often as they can for as long as they can, and the way we Wolves have sex can be a little more . . . passionate than most mortals.”

Natasha didn’t think it could be any worse than what she’d gone through but kept her mouth shut as Sif talked.  So she was there to teach Natasha how to, what, exactly?  She asked and Sif offered her the smallest of smiles before leaning forward and pressing her lips hard against Natasha’s.  It was just on the edge of roughness, the taller woman nibbling at Natasha’s lower lip as she practically devoured her mouth, and it was all Nat could do not to pull away.  Skewed power dynamics and a loss of control was not something that Natasha particularly enjoyed, but she tried to give into it as Sif worked, pushing her down onto the bed so the redhead was laying flat.  

“You can be just as forceful,” Sif told her when she pulled slowly away.  “Don’t give in entirely; Barton and Stark will try to force you to react, doing everything they can to get some sort of response.  Steve won’t mind, and Thor . . . well it’s difficult to tell what he’ll do,” Sif murmured.  ‘The same goes for Banner.”

At Sif’s insistence they tried it again, this time Nat doing her best to give up her absolute reserve in favor of more passion.  Her tongue clashed with Sif’s as though they were swords, the pair exploring the mouth of their partner as best they could.  Natasha even felt Sif moan above her, her body trembling as her hands balled into fists on either side of Natasha’s head, pulling at the fabric of the sheets and blankets.  They only moved to play with the edges of Natasha’s shirt and pants, fingers dancing up the soft skin of Natasha’s stomach as Sif’s lips turned downwards, biting as she went.  She ground her hips against Natasha’s, undulating them slow enough so there was the perfect amount of friction between them, forcing a moan from Nat’s lips to be released.  Oh, wow.  It had been years since she’d felt the same roll of pleasure coursing through her body as she did now.  

“You see what I’m doing?” Sif asked, curiosity lessened slightly by the quiet gasp of pleasure she let out when Natasha repeated the movement from beneath her.  “Good.  Very good, Natasha.”  She grinned against her throat, looking up at her with the most wolfish smile Nat had ever seen before Sif tore at the shirt keeping Nat covered from her.  Her lips fell on Natasha’s left breast first, on the same edge of roughness as she had kissed her with, then moved to the right.  Nat adapted, whining and arching her back to allow Sif better access.  It made the dark-haired woman give a quiet yip of approval, and when she kissed her way down to the soft planes of Natasha’s stomach, the redhead did her best to relax and stay completely still.  

“You are smart,” Sif murmured, biting her side just hard enough to make Natasha shout with surprise.  “You know better than to cover yourself up already.  You’ve been in a submissive position before?”  

Nat nodded, turning her eyes upwards so she didn’t have to look at Sif, so the woman couldn’t see the terror breeding behind Nat’s eyes at the reminder, but she still seemed to be able to tell.  

“Just give in to what I’m making you feel,” Sif murmured against Nat’s skin, bringing her lips further down as her hands began to pull Natasha’s pants down, throwing them to the ground when they’d slipped off her legs.  “It’ll make it easier, and when we smell fear we tend to get a little more animalistic.  It makes us lose control.”  Her own voice seemed to have an edge of a tremor to it, now that Nat paid attention, and so it was after a deep breath that Nat looked up and over at the woman between her legs.  

“How do you know so much about them?”

“Well, I’ve been with Thor the most,” Sif admitted just before licking her way up Nat’s already wet slit.  No matter what the woman’s past might have been, Sif’s administrations of pleasure and attention to her breasts had done the trick.  “Steve once or twice, and Loki many, many times.”

“E-even though he’s an Omega?” Nat asked, a gasp cutting into her words.  

“Even though he’s an Omega.” Sif grinned, and thrust her tongue into Nat’s folds, making the woman moan and buck, all fear forgotten as Sif did her best to make her feel good.  She didn’t last very long before her first orgasm hit and it left her as boneless as a fish.  Sif grinned as she sat back on her heels, wiping her mouth then sucking on her fingers.  “From now on, when you’re with one of them, think of that, and it should help you to learn to control your fear from sinking through,” she murmured.  

“Thank you,” Nat breathed, her voice hoarse from all the shouting she’d been doing.  “But that’s . . . that’s not what they’re going to do to me.”  

“If you can get Steve to he’s quite good,” Sif admitted with a shrug.  “So perhaps.  Beguile them, make them believe that you want it by drawing on your more pleasant experiences and it will make it easier on you.”  Sif cupped the side of Natasha’s face, her smile apologetic.  Natasha leaned in to kiss her, the knots in her stomach gone in favor of the heat that still pooled there.  

“I think it’s going to take a lot more of positive reinforcement to get me to forget what they’ll be doing to me,” she murmured, phrasing it more of an invitation than an observation.  Sif’s grin made it plain that she understood and flipped Natasha onto her front.  

“Allow me to help you then, Natasha.”  

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I'm so sorry it took me forever and a day to get this chapter written--things have been wicked hectic over here, what with school starting soon and I'm moving back up to college [permanently] and trying to balance that with work. Yikes. I'll do my best to keep updating as frequently as I can, though. Thanks so much for reading and sticking through this with me!

In the days to come Natasha tried to cling to the few good moments she’d had between herself and Sif, and Loki’s help was always appreciated as he visited her each day, bringing her food and news about the world and what was happening in the pack.  By the end of her second week there, however, he seemed nervous and worn, deep bags under his eyes telling her that he hadn’t gotten much sleep, and he kept his collar up but it wasn’t enough to disguise the bruises she saw peeking up.  

“It’s not an issue,” he assured her with a soft smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes and only set her stomach to churn faster.  What wasn’t he telling her, and why did she feel as though it was going to only make matters worse?

“How is it that they haven’t tried to get to me yet?” She asked, voice quiet.  “I’d have thought that Fury’s command would’ve come in any day.  I’m not about to complain,” she said quickly as Loki opened his mouth, his brow furrowed.  “But I’m just . . . nervous about what he’s waiting for.  He won’t make them . . . while they’re changed--?”

“No.  Gods above no.  That wouldn’t work,” Loki said with a sigh.  “No, they’ve just been busy lately.  I know not if Fury has given the order but I can only anticipate that he has, and so thankfully they’ve been too occupied to follow it and the Alpha hasn’t pursued it.”  The yet was absent from his words yet hung in the air heavily.  

In a moment it all clicked.  “What’re you doing to occupy them?”  Natasha asked quietly, her blue eyes rising to stare at Loki in horror.  It all made sense--the marks on his neck, how tired he must’ve been.  “Loki please don’t tell me you’ve been entertaining them all by yourself--.”

“It’s not a big deal,” he promised her with a shrug.  “I couldn’t let them do that to you so I just offered myself.  They weren’t about to say no; no one says no to an Omega, let alone one willing.”  He turned his head away, as though he couldn’t look at her and her stomach nearly gave out.  Hand stretching to his she squeezed it gently.  

“Stop doing that.  You’re running yourself into the ground--.”

“And you’ve been through enough.” He countered, snapping his head around to stare at her.  “I’m not going to have Fury add to it.”

She swallowed hard and pushed away the plate of food she’d been picking at.  Loki’s eyes flashed with annoyance as he barked that she needed to finish eating, but she shook her head.  “Just how long were you going to try and keep this up without telling me?” She demanded, glad that her voice came out quite a bit stronger than she thought it would.  She was practically shaking with anger; yes, she appreciated what he was doing for her but at the same time she was furious that he was hurting himself in the process.  As he said she’d been through it before, she knew how to cope with what she knew was coming, and so long as she could stick to the rules that Sif had taught her, well, at least she’d be prepared for it.  She hoped.  

“Until I could find a way to get you out of here,” he admitted with a long, drawn out breath.  Natasha scoffed, folding her arms over her chest and trying not to let his words annoy her.  Get her out of here?  He must’ve been crazy, or else he was far more of a dreamer than she’d ever thought.  From what she learned about the rules there was no escaping, no getting away from the shitty situations that life got you into, there was only adapting, getting stronger and learning how to work around the obstacles in your way.  If you were lucky enough to get away you’d be right back where you started as you tried to make a new life and make something of yourself.  There was no getting out, hadn’t her life just proved that?  She’d been a forced whore, then married, and now back in the same position. What hope was there for a different life or escaping when it was all she’d ever known?

“Don’t make promises you cannot keep,” Natasha murmured, turning away from him.  In the silence that followed there was a knock on the door, making both Nat and Loki tense up.  To her side Loki let out a low whine and she watched him visibly recoil as the voice from the other side demanded that he leave.  She didn’t recognize it, not at first but if it had Loki worried, well, she wasn’t too happy either . He looked over at her, apologizing with his eyes rather than his words, as he stood slowly to make his way to the door.  Nat swallowed hard.  Hadn’t she just told him she could handle this by herself?  That she’d suffered through this and there was no point in him going through hell, too?  

She supposed that moment was as good a time as any to back up what she said, even if she hadn’t expected it to come so soon. Loki stood and, with one last mournful look towards her, stepped out of the house, opening the door for a tall figure just in front of him.  

“Go easy on her,” Loki murmured, though there was very little conviction behind his words.  “Rogers.  Please.”

The man--Rogers, Natasha assumed, though she’d never met or seen him before--laid a hand on Loki’s arm, leading him through the door and closing it behind the retreating Omega.  There were other voices outside, all of them complaining that the Rogers had gotten there first, but Natasha’s eyes and attention were fixed on the tall blond just in her doorway.  His eyes took her in slowly, moving from her head to her toes as she did the same, trying to gauge just whether or not she should bother trying to fight him off, or just, well, give in and accept it.  It would certainly make things easier, this she knew, but it didn’t help with the bile rising in her mouth.  She barely managed to excuse herself and run to the bathroom before her stomach emptied itself of the small breakfast she’d forced herself to eat when Loki came.

Maybe she shouldn’t have been so critical of his help after all.  

A hand rested itself lightly on her shoulder and she pulled away from it, looking up back at the man, at Rogers, whose face had taken on an apologetic look.  “I know this isn’t the life you probably envisioned yourself having, well, ever,” he murmured, “and I want to apologize for what’s going to happen but I . . . I appreciate you, and what you’re doing.”

She paused, pulling herself up as best she could so that she could at least stand and face him.  “And what am I doing, Rogers?”

“Please, call me Steve.”

“Steve.”  Whatever.  It certainly wouldn’t be her name for him when all this was done; she could think of many more colorful ones.

“You’re helping us.  Not in the most conventional of ways, and certainly not in the most ethically correct of them, but you are ensuring we survive.  That our people don’t die out, and while it’s not the best of ways to go about it I know my people are grateful to you as well.”

“And what if I can’t have children?” She asked, her blue eyes catching his as she stared him down, gaze narrowing.  “My husband,” she emphasized the title. “And I have been trying for years.”

“We’re a lot more virile than a human is,” Steve told her.

“You think that matters?”

“I think it doesn’t hurt our chances.”  He said.  He stepped backwards, to Nat’s surprise, and she felt herself stand a little taller as a result, her eyes narrowing in defense.  He sighed and bowed his head and she watched as his neck twitched as he swallowed hard. “Look.  I know this situation sucks.  I hate it, maybe not as much as you do but you’d better know I’m not too happy with what Fury’s making me do but, as crazy as it seems, I don’t get a say.  I don’t have a choice in what I have to do.  If I did, I’d be with my lover right now.”  

“So why don’t you try and get her to have your damn pup?” She snarled, feeling more wolf than what he looked.  

His smile was wry.  “Because last I knew a man couldn’t have children.”

Oh.  She bit her tongue, her brow furrowed as she grew more confused than ever.  Steve sighed and led her out so he could offer her a seat at her own table, which she took, watching him unsurely as he paced the short length in front of her.  He seemed to be struggling to find the words, and since letting him find talk would stall the inevitable Natasha found she didn’t mind in the slightest, sitting patiently with her legs and arms crossed, eyes watching the tall man as he nearly wore down a trail from all the walking.  It was amazing to watch, she had to admit.  Despite how normal he looked there was something so otherworldly and, well, animalistic that it took Nat’s breath away with a mixture of surprise and fear.  Loki had nothing like it, though he was graceful in his own way, likely due to only being half a wolf, but Steve was all sinewy movements, very focused and intent on where he was going and what he was doing.  More than once his eyes popped up to meet hers and there was something deeper, feral, in them, as though his own mind was triggering his thoughts.  She swallowed hard as he began growling at one point.  It stopped a moment later, his head whipping to her.  

“Don’t be afraid.”

Easy for him to say.  “I’m not,” she said quickly, a natural comeback.

His laugh was more of a bark than anything else.  “I can smell it on you and it isn’t helping.  It’s making me think of you like you’re prey.  My prey.  Trust me when I say you don’t want that.”

Again, it wasn’t as though he was helping her any.  She just shifted, trying to breathe deep and think of Sif’s advice.  Calling on her past, pleasant memories made it a little easier, and Steve’s shoulders soon relaxed as he resumed his pacing, her fear having abated and leaving him to finally piece together his words.  

“Look.  I guess I should just come out with it and say that neither one of us is much looking forward to it, but in a pack you follow what your Alpha says, so it’s going to happen.  Neither of us have much of a choice, and if I don’t do it and I leave someone else will, and I’ll have to come back later.”  He looked over to see that it wasn’t exactly helping Nat along with the situation.  This time his sigh was ragged, exasperated, and he dropped swiftly to his knees in front of her.  She jumped when he reached out to her, his hand so much warmer than she was used to as it took hers.  What the hell was he doing?  “So, will you please, please let me do this?  Without fighting me or making a scene?  I don’t want to hurt you, and I’ll be gentle. I know I’m not your first pick, but as it’s either the easy or the hard way why don’t we try and make this as enjoyable as possible?”  He shot her a small smile, so innocent it took her off guard completely.  What the hell was he playing at, smiling like that?  That was a look reserved for small children and those who didn’t know any better.  If Nat could read him right, well, Steve definitely knew better.  She gulped, feeling his hand tighten on hers as though he meant to reassure her.  

Her heart jumped into her throat as she looked down.  He was right about neither of them having a choice, and with a resigned nod she agreed.  

Again Steve visibly relaxed, an easy smile playing on his lips as he leaned over to kiss her, his lips soft against her own, and once more stiflingly warm.  How was it that they ran so hot without having a fever?  At least she hoped they didn’t; being more vulnerable than normal was the last thing she needed.  When she didn’t respond to his advances he cupped the side of her face and murmured for her to relax, to calm down.  He had everything under control, he assured her, not realizing that was what worried her.  She’d always hated being out of control, especially since she’d just gained some sort of semblance of it over her life.  A few tears rolled down her cheeks as he tried to deepen the kiss, but she couldn’t force herself to be as enthusiastic as he was.  When he felt the wetness on his cheeks he stopped, pulling back, confused.

“You’re crying.”

She wanted to laugh at the obvious, but all that came out of her mouth was a sort of half-broken guffaw, her eyes breaking away from his as he released his hold on her chin, blinking back more tears without much luck.  Dammit.  She’d told herself that she wouldn’t do this.

Steve didn’t seem to mind too much, and instead of continuing with what he was doing as expected he hoisted her slowly into his arms and pulled her over towards the bed.  Nat squirmed in his arms, unsure that she was comfortable with doing it after all, but he hushed her.  

“I’m not going to tonight.  You’re not in the right headspace for it, but I am going to mark you as territory--don’t look at me like that, it’s not what you think--and . . . I suppose we could try something other than sex.  So long as I finish it should be enough to fulfill the demands of the Alpha.  He never said where we had to,” he murmured.  His change in attitude sparked hope in Nat’s mind, her eyes searching his as he laid her down and relaxed next to her, one of his arms wrapping around her waist as he held her against his chest, her head planted firmly so she could listen to his heartbeat.

“Will it work for all of them?” She asked quietly.  

“Fury will find out,” Steve warned her.  She took his lack of an answer as a confirmation and she couldn’t stop herself from immediately reaching out for his cock.  It was soft, but as he gasped when she touched it it filled quickly underneath the thin pants he wore.  She could get it over and out of the way, and he could leave and she could, well, try and enjoy the rest of her evening as long as Fury would let her.  

Wisely, Steve didn’t object, understanding that she was trying to be rid of him as soon as possible.  Whether the idea bothered him or not Nat had no idea, as he kept his ideas very much to himself as she stroked him to life, pulling down his pants once he was at full hardness.  

She couldn’t help but be relieved that she was getting away with just using her hand; he’d have split her in two.  She stroked her thumb over the head, rubbing the precome over his skin and he gave a quiet hiss between clenched teeth at the sensation, especially when the pad of her finger found the sensitive ridge just on the other side of his cock.  That made his hips buck into her hand, demanding more friction, more speed, more everything without saying anything other than her name.  When his eyes, which had once been closed as he’d tipped his head back in pleasure, met hers once more they were wide, golden, and made her heart give a strange jolt of fear and curiosity.  

“You aren’t going to transform right in front of me, are you?” She teased, slowing down despite his best intentions to make her speed up again.  She didn’t want to deal with . . . well, whatever they ended up changing into, whether it was a wolf or something more human.  She was barely able to withhold the shudder that rippled up her back.  

“No--no, God don’t stop,” he said, lips parted as he panted, body straining against the clothing that he still had on as his hands gripped the sides of the bed.  His nails had nearly embedded themselves in the mattress, and not wanting to tempt fate for any longer she went back to the quicker pace she’d set before.  When her arm got tired--because damn did he have stamina, despite her using all her best tricks--she shifted herself to sit between his legs and parted her lips to take him in.  He gave a shout that wasn’t unlike a yip, and from around his cock she couldn’t help but stifle a laugh, smiling.  He wasn’t so much a wolf as a puppy, she decided, from the way he begged and pleaded for her to go faster, or pay more attention to the head of his cock, or even how he howled as he came, the warm liquid seeping past her lips and into her stomach.  She kept herself from gagging, never having liked the experience, but he became boneless as he laid down on the bed, grinning up at the ceiling.  

She, however, stood and moved to the bathroom, wanting to wash her mouth out with water.  Hopefully by that time he’d be gone and she could sit there with the heaviness in her gut that had nothing to do with what she’d just swallowed.  She had made it back to the beginning, where she’d started out with Ivan, and if Steve’s words and hints were any indication she’d be there forever.  

Unless Loki could somehow make good on his word to help her escape.  She clung to the idea as she moved back into her room, finding Steve still lying on her bed, eyes having changed back to their normal blue.  He gave her a small smile and sat up slowly on the bed to beckon her closer.  Stomach still in tight knots she stopped only when she was in front of him.  He hefted up the hem of her shirt and pressed a slow kiss to her hip, lips warm and soft against her skin, so much so that she gasped.  The tenderness of the moment, too, was enough to quicken the pace of her heart and bring a flush to her cheeks.  

Until he bit down, however. It wasn’t hard enough to break the skin, just to dent it, and she shouted in shock.  A little warning might’ve been nice.  His laugh made his whole body shake as he looked back up at her and rose to his full, considerable height, forcing her to tip her chin up so as not to break eye contact.  With one hand he tipped her head to the side and nuzzled her now exposed neck, almost like a cat would do to something it very much wanted to claim as its own.  

“There,” he murmured.  “Now you’re mine.  That’ll keep the others off for a day or two.  Or it should.”  

“Can’t you come back and do it again?” She asked.  “I don’t mind repaying you with my hands or mouth,” she assured him, though the twist in her gut told her the opposite.  She minded very much, but it was so much better than the alternative.

He shook his head.  “It’ll wear off too quickly if I keep doing it, and unfortunately--.”

“Alpha’s orders?”

“I’m not allowed to come back until the others have had a go.”  He winced at the wording and the way she looked away from him, separating physically as well as she struggled to keep herself together.  Right.  The whole pregnancy thing.  

“I’m telling you it’s not going to work.”

“It doesn’t mean that he’ll have them stop.  If anything it might be worse if he finds out, for you at least.  He might try and bite you, to change you into one of us so that the healing process will hopefully fix whatever problems your body has.”  

Right, because that made her feel so much better.  She took another step away from him, her eyes focusing on his as defiance glared back at him.  “I don’t want to be what you are.”

“And I’m telling you it’s best not to bring it up to him unless you want to.”  He gave a heavy sigh.  “Again, I’m sorry Natasha but these are just the cards you’ve been dealt.”

“Easy words coming from someone with a winning hand and nothing to lose,” she growled.  For a moment neither of them spoke, nor did they break eye contact, the battle of wills just starting between the pair of them.  She wasn’t about to back down, and he had no right to tell her that she should just accept her fate.  Eventually he just tipped his head to signify he was leaving, turning to step out the door when he paused just once more.  

“I’ll talk to Fury.  See if a bargain can’t be made to trade you for someone else.  Someone who’s had children in the past.  But are you really okay with giving your place up to someone else?  Putting someone else through this?”

“Yes.”  No.  But she had to think of herself first for once.  She’d been trained, like a damn dog, to put the needs of others in front of her but that had to change.  She hoped.  

He just shook his head, as though he was disappointed, and headed out the door, offering her the same as everyone else: a glimmer of hope, but nothing concrete.  She supposed it would have to be enough to go on until she could do something about it.  

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally finally finally, right? Hope this chapter makes up for the wait--Aside from life being crazy I don't have an excuse for why it took me so long, and I'm sorry that I don't have a prediction when I'll get to writing the next chapter. Thank you all so much, though, for sticking with this and reading! You all rock!

As promised, Steve did his best to try and find solutions for her, but his suggestion to Fury that Natasha was switched out with another was quickly shot down by the man in charge.  Fury had been livid at the very suggestion of a swap, or that his plan wouldn’t work out.  “I’m not about to compromise the deal we have at this moment just because she’s never been able to fulfil her role as a woman with a mortal.  We wolves are stronger.  Better.  She’ll be with child soon enough and you’ll forget that we had this conversation.  Am I understood?”

Steve had nodded, swallowing his understanding.  Not as though he had much of a choice; to go against an Alpha was suicide, and he was no use to Natasha dead.  He hoped.  Natasha hadn’t taken the news well, swallowing hard and looking away. Stark had already come to visit her, and Banner, but both of them had been as understanding as Steve had been, and even if the latter had made her jaw ache with how long he'd taken it was much more worth it than the alternative. More than once she thought about jumping out one of the windows, finding Loki and getting the hell away from the damn camp.

And then she remembered they'd get caught, and the way that Stark had explained it to her when he'd heard her brilliant plan to put off getting pregnant . . . Fury wasn’t above making a public example out of her.  Not that anyone would do anything about it. Being the Alpha and all that had its perks, apparently, especially when ordering your underlings to commit rape.

"I'm sorry that there's nothing else I can do." Steve said. Nat wanted to slap the sorry out of him, turning her face away so he wouldn't see the fire in her eyes or just how fed up with his apologies she was. What good were his "sorrys" if they didn't do anything?

"You did all you could and you warned me what was going to happen." Natasha said quietly. "Right?"

He nodded. "I just wish it had been enough."

"Well that makes two of us but you aren't exactly the one being fucked every night, are you?" She demanded, her anger seeping out into her words. She couldn't help it, though his kicked puppy-dog look, there was simply no other explanation for it, hit her in the gut. A quiet sigh left her lips cloaked in an apology, but what else was she supposed to say?  “There’s nothing else that can be done?  Because Tony told me that he’s going to catch on sooner or later, and warned me that when he does it won’t just be my hide that's on the line, but yours, too.  All of you.  You say he’s such a fearful pack leader, what happens when he finds out you all haven't been having sex with me like you’re supposed to be?  Not carrying on the pack?” She asked, the inflection of the last sentence much more sarcastic than she meant it to be.  

“What, indeed.”

It wasn’t just Steve’s body that went tense with dread, but Natasha felt her whole system flood with panic.  Fury stood in the doorway, neither of the other two having heard him even come close.  His hands were folded behind his back and he was looking as though he’d just finished running, covered in sweat and chest heaving.  He might’ve been older than them all but as he stood there, glaring and practically vibrating with energy, Natasha couldn’t have been any more terrified, though she did her best to keep it from showing on her face.  He advanced on her, bare feet soft on her wooden floor, but every step he took only echoed in her heart, mirrored by her own backtracking ones.  Fury’s eyes burned gold for half a second and Nat felt her heart plummet into her stomach.

“Sir--.”

“Silence, and don’t you dare move.”  The order came out as a hiss and reverberated through the small house, obeyed immediately by all.  Bile began to rise in Nat’s throat as he kept advancing on her, Steve unable to help her even as his fists balled at his side, body shaking with the desire to move, to be useful.  The advancing Alpha only stopped when he stood right in front of Nat, her back pressed hard to the wall just beside her bed, fingertips scrambling at the wall, as if searching for a crevice she could hide herself in.  He leaned in, bald head bent over her throat, and inhaled deeply.  

“Good.  You’re afraid of me.  Perhaps you aren’t the idiot I thought--.”

The water pitcher she kept next to her bed shattered loudly against his head, shards of pottery flying across the room as she pushed the dazed wolf aside and took off, ignoring a sharp pain that shot up her foot.  She made it just out of the house before strong hands caught her, arms she recognized and knew well wrapping around her.  Steve barely gritted out an apology before she tried kicking out at him.  She only screamed in response, the sharp pain revealing itself to be a shard of the broken pitcher, now embedded in her foot.  Hot tears stung her eyes as Steve led her back in and sat her down at her own table, his large hands concrete on her shoulders as he held her there.  Fury was seething, blood dripping down the side of his head as he moved to sit opposite her, pulling his chair closer.  If she thought he’d looked mad before it was nothing in comparison to now, lips curled in a snarl, eyes wild and definitely glowing bright gold  He took her injured foot in hand and Nat bit her tongue to keep from screaming as he twisted the small shard of clay, only letting out the slightest whimper of pain to show that it was affecting her at all.  

“You had to go and prove me wrong, didn’t you?” He growled and through her tears he looked more like a wolf than ever, pointed teeth and all.  “You just don’t know when to quit.”  He twisted the shard again.  Blood burst on her taste buds and this time she did scream, the sound shrill even to her ears as she rocked her head backwards, trying to kick free, loosen his damn grip.  He clenched tighter, nails digging into her skin.  

“Sir--.”

“I didn’t say you could talk, Rogers.”  Fury barked, turning his face up to glower at the blond before he ripped the shard clean out of Nat’s foot.  His fingers were soaked with blood, the liquid dripping down his forearm and onto the floor.  The threw the piece up on the table, catching her eyes after they followed it.  

“Clean her up, Rogers, and bring her to the square.  A precedent needs to be set, and don’t you dare let her escape, either.”

Steve’s face was nearly as white as Natasha’s, who looked very near fainting.  Without another word he crossed over to the small medical kit each home was stocked with, and Fury leaned closer to Natasha, breath hot and rancid against her face.  “I told you once not to fuck with me.  You have no one to blame but yourself.”  He left her trembling behind him, slamming the door with a curse and order for the others to gather the same place he’d ordered Steve to bring Natasha.  “Loki, that means you.  NOW!”  He snarled.  

Steve alone stayed with Nat, dabbing with a wet cloth at her wound, ignoring her whimpers and pleas telling him to leave her alone.  He was too good of a man to let her die, and too far under the Alpha’s command to ignore his job.  

“Please tell me it’ll fester and I’ll die quickly,” Nat murmured when he threw the third cloth in the garbage, useless and stained.  

Steve shook his head.  “Natasha, you can’t--.”

“Steve.  Please.  You’re a man.  You have no idea what we women have to go through because you men decide you know what’s best for us.  So don’t assume to tell me what I do and don’t mean.”

It shut him up at least, lips pressed tightly together the whole while he finished cleaning and bandaging her foot.  When it was done he hoisted her slowly, gently, into his arms.  Nat tried not to scoff.  What did it matter when they both knew what was coming next?

The center of the town was filled with people when the pair arrived, their bodies taut and, as if waiting for a massacre to start.  Eyes focused on the only mortal being brought forth, curious murmurs exchanged behind hands and a faint thrum of anxiety rising between them all.  It was making Natasha tremble, sure that they all knew as well as she did, yet they would have to bear witness to her humiliation.  All of them.  In the crowd she managed to pick out Sif and Loki, and she felt her dread rise even further.  Loki’s eyes were wide and his mouth was gaping as he struggled to move towards her.  Sif’s hand on his arm was the only thing stopping him, and even that wasn’t doing that good of a job.  Nat turned her face away, burying it in Steve’s chest for lack of a better place to put it.  She wished he wasn’t here, and not even the positive memories she and Sif had somehow managed to create, what felt like centuries ago, wouldn’t help her.  While all this bounced around her head Steve continued to walk forward, stopping only when ordered.  

“Put her on the ground,” Fury’s order rang through the mostly silent late afternoon, and Nat chanced a glance at the bastard Alpha as she was pulled away from Steve’s chest and her reprieve from having to look at anything else.  Thor stood beside Fury, his face devoid of any sort of emotion as he stared at her.  It was only there, looking back up at him, that she saw the edges of his nerves, and despite how steady he normally was she caught him trembling.  Well, at least she wasn’t the only one nervous about this.  They were all in the same pile of shit together, she thought as she was set down slowly on the ground, back straight and head up.  She wasn’t going to give Fury the satisfaction of seeing her weak again.  He’d gotten enough out of her.  She pulled at the strength from somewhere deep inside her, somewhere even she didn’t know how she’d managed to get to it, but she let it slowly fill her veins as she stared up at Thor, then Steve.  She understood, now, and though her past words were still true and right, and she would always have to worry, they weren’t exactly in any better of a situation.  She tried to let it ground her, tried to swallow back the fear and curse words and everything else that worked its way through her body.  

An even heavier hush spread over the congregation as Fury drew one of his fingers to his lips, gaze brokering no compromise until all was silent and he had everyone’s attention.  “A week ago Natasha Romanov was brought into the pack under a treaty between our pack and her village, which was contingent on her adherence to our rules, our dominion, and our traditions.  She had been given orders and expected, as all members of the pack are expected, to follow.  She was supposed to lead us to a second generation, supposed to be the missing link in continuing our species.”  He paused and Nat had to keep herself from snorting.  Talk about dramatic, but she didn’t like where this was going.  Was he trying to justify what was to come to the pack?  “She has failed on all accounts, and even turned those who were charged to help her carry out these tasks against the pack.  Will this be tolerated?”

There were murmurings from the crowd and Nat felt gooseflesh rise on her arms.  Shit.  She’d been afraid of this, and as she looked around she watched the gazes, which had once been pitying and confused, harden.  

“That’s not true--.”

“You deny disobeying my commands?”  She bit her tongue, looking away from Fury’s smirk.  He had her there.  “And do you deny that you conspired with the other men in order to make them follow through with your plans, violating the directions I had given them?”

Again, he had her, and her indignation burned in her veins.  The murmurings of the crowd grew louder, a tad more aggressive.  Thor was shifting uncomfortably in his place, and she could see Loki pushing his way to the near front of the pack.  She looked up at him, unsure what exactly he could do for her, but he was too busy watching Fury.  The man was showing off, looking around the pack to make sure that any dissenters were silent.  “Miss. Romanov needs to be taught a lesson about obedience.  She needs to be made example of, or else how will she learn?  How will we keep her from turning this pack into chaos, and destroying our way of life?”  He took their silence as assent, turning to Thor.  When he spoke it was just loud enough for Natasha to hear, and she was fairly certain--dead certain, in fact--that this was intentional.  

“Take her right here, right now, in front of everyone else.  Hold her down and fuck her to ensure our line does not fail.”

The command registered half a second after he said it, just as Nat’s eyes widened and her panic rose, just as Fury looked over to catch her trying to scramble up and onto her feet.  Thor was too quick for her, and didn’t have the disadvantage of being injured as she did.  Her hands beat against his shoulders and arms as they started to pin her hands above her head, but she might as well have been beating against stone for as good as it did her.  Even with the fighting she’d had to do in the past, with the men she’d pushed and kicked off her, the nights that she forced herself to at least try and train to stay alive, it didn’t do a damn thing.  He held both of her wrists above her head with one hand, his other cupping her face and tipping it upwards so his lips could brush against hers.  

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, voice deep and trembling with the concentration it took to not immediately obey, to take his time.  “Please let me make this as enjoyable as possible.  Please.”

But she shook her head, trying to wriggle further out of his hold, even as his hand started to pull at her skirt, lifting it up so that her thighs were exposed.  She screamed and shouted, looking over to try and find Loki, to beg him for help but he was nowhere to be found.  Apparently he couldn’t stomach what she was going to have to live through.   _No!_  She kicked out against him with her good foot, but he simply took it and lifted it over his shoulder, spreading her open wide.  His hips were positioned just right so that her center was covered by his hips, but even as she struggled to remove the leg from where he’d put it he was already undoing his belt and--WHACK

The log came out of nowhere, but with enough force to knock the tall blond man backwards, bleeding from the temples.  It took half a second for Nat to pull herself together, standing on unsure legs so that her skirt covered her torso again, while Fury shouted at Loki.  The tall, thin man was holding the log in question, his hand clenched around it so tight that the wood was splintering.  

“STAND DOWN LOKI!” Fury shouted, his voice reaching such a deep timbre that Nat was amazed the houses around them weren’t razed to the ground.  Loki seemed to be fighting with something, struggling against the power of the Alpha, while Nat watched with amazed eyes, as did everyone else.  How had he broken free of the power of the Alpha when not even his strongest men could?  

“No--this is wrong!” Loki shouted, eyes narrowed as he stood between Fury and Natasha.  The pack leader was striding forward, grabbing the Omega by the front of his shirt and baring his teeth.  They seemed to have pointed again and it made Nat gasp as he pressed his mouth to Loki’s throat, sure that any minute there would be a spurt of red and Loki would be dead at her feet.  

Instead the Omega drew the log back up and cracked it against Fury’s head.  Since both of the man’s hands were occupied he couldn’t deflect it, and Loki fell with a hard ‘thud’ back to the ground, gracelessly rising to his feet to take his place in front of Natasha again.  

“Can you run?” He asked, eyeing the increasingly anxious crowd, some of whom looked about seconds away from changing.  At least Nat was guessing by the fur sprouting on their faces and hands that that’s what was happening.  

“No.”

“Okay.  I’ll carry you.  When I say so jump onto my back and we’ll--.”

A hand grabbed his ankle.  Fury, from the ground, flipped the man onto his back, having taken his moment of distraction as an advantage.  He now climbed over the downed Omega, ignoring Natasha as she moved to grab the log Loki had dropped, and watching in horror as a slow, blue hue started to spread over Loki’s skin.  Not realizing something was wrong, Loki saw it as his chance and threw the man off him, much stronger than he had been seconds ago.  

He froze, however, when he stared down at the hands that had tossed the surprised Alpha to the side.  

“Frost giant,” Natasha murmured, as surprised as everyone else, and Loki’s bright red eyes turned to her in a mixture of pained shock and confusion.  “You’re not an Omega, you’re a Giant.”  

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hurray another chapter! And without having to wait years for it, too! hahaha hope you enjoy!

The calamity that followed was like nothing Natasha had ever experienced before.  If she thought that the previous fight would be terrifying she knew nothing of what was to come.  Almost immediately the eyes of every wolf in the pack changed, went bright orange, and Fury snarled at the blue figure in the midst of it all, looking more out of place than he ever had before, .  

“I knew I shouldn’t have listened to Thor when he said you wouldn’t be an issue.”  The words were deep, caught somewhere between a wolf’s growl and recognizable human speech.  Loki, who stood in front of Natasha, stilled even as he protected her with his body, hands spreading backwards to reach her.  They were freezing to the touch and she shivered, unable to help herself.  Every muscle in his body was taut as he watched the Alpha pace in front of him, eyes narrowed and gaze fixed on the frost giant in front of him, gold eyes taking in the stance, the defensive gleam in the red eyes, the slight snarl on his lips.  Everything that proved he was more than ready for a fight.  

“What are you talking about?” Loki asked, his blood red eyes narrowing as he held his ground, not willing to risk Nat’s safety for a swipe at the man who’d once forced him into subservience.  Behind her she could hear the rustling and growling of the wolves, making every hair on her body stand up.  How the hell were they supposed to get out of this?  She reached for one of Loki’s hands and took it in her own, squeezing it.  She really hoped he had a plan, because outside of possibly being killed in a process of escaping she had nothing.

“Your parents left your brother and you here when you were young, Thor knowing full and well what sort of monster you are.  He told me that if there was a problem with you he’d deal with it himself, that you wouldn’t endanger the pack because the spell your adopted father put on you was too strong and couldn’t be broken.  That you’d be an Omega, and under the guise of a half breed you’d never be questioned about changing.  You were too young at the time but he swore to me it wouldn’t harm the pack.  Now look what you’ve done,” Fury spat, mouth practically foaming with rage as he glowered from the downed blond man to Loki again.  “I ought to slaughter the both of you for that.”  

Loki’s free hand stiffened, the air around it growing colder as a small sheath of ice covered it, forming a strong, lethal looking point.  Before it could get formed much more than that a wolf’s snout clamped down on it, the beast dark grey in color, teeth drawing blood as it cracked through the ice and snapped down on Loki’s arm.  The frost giant shrieked and yanked his other hand away from Nat.  In the confusion she was dragged away by strong, thin hands and another dagger was driven through the skull of the attacking wolf, leaving it limp in front of Loki.  

“Murderer!” One of the other werewolves shouted, each of them looking dangerously close to changing, just as Nat drove her foot into the instep of the person holding her, twisting around to see a shock of black hair.  Sif was shaking her head as she led Natasha away, apologizing as much as she could, still yanking the protesting woman into the safety of the empty village, away from the fighting.

“You have to stay out of there--he’ll never be able to fight or get away if he’s afraid of you getting hurt,” she hissed in Natasha’s ear, and though Nat wanted to argue with her she knew the woman was right.  As it was, Loki was looking for her to begin with, turning and searching, red eyes scanning the masses now crowding him towards the forest, pressing him backwards until he was stumbling over the body of his brother.  Thor shifted, groggily trying to lift himself up as Fury called for the pack to stop moving.  The order was followed immediately, and Nat watched as even Steve, Clint, Tony, and Bruce stilled, waiting for further instruction and looking torn between protecting and attacking Loki.  Thor was standing slowly, shaking his head as he turned to his brother, blue eyes still dazed but doing his best to ensure that his sibling was alright.  Nat could see Loki tremble, but missed what Thor said.  Whatever it was nearly set the giant off, rushing to try and drive his fist, bared of ice, in Thor’s face.  It stopped moments before striking the man and his body went limp as Thor wrapped an arm around him to hold him tight to his body.  Sif didn’t let Natasha stay any longer than that, pulling her further back.

“No.” Nat found herself yelling, trying to struggle out of the wolf’s grip.  “No--Loki!”

The giant’s head twisted to look at her, eyes wide and searching.  Before he could consider moving the other wolves shuffled to block him out, keep her hidden.  She shouted again as Sif kept dragging her away, Nat’s own strength not enough to keep her from getting back to the giant.  He was her only chance at getting out and away, now more than ever, but with Sif’s growl to stay still in her ear the opportunity slipped further and further away.  

“Dammit let me go!” Natasha swore, even once they’d been moved out of sight from the large group, winding their way back to Natasha’s small house.  Sif’s grip only tightened as Natasha tried to wriggle out, and her attempt to drive the heel of her wrist into the wolf’s nose was thwarted as another hand moved to grip her wrist, tightening so much that Nat was certain her bones would shatter.  

“Natasha stop--stop!” Sif said, gripping harder as Natasha’s struggle only intensified.  She hadn’t felt this helpless in years, not since living with Ivan, before Alexei, but everything about living in the wolf’s camp was bringing that back around.  She twisted her head away, not wanting the woman holding her captive to see the budding tears in her eyes.  She had nothing else to hope for, no other options if Loki was sent out or killed. “If you go back to him now he’ll die.  Fury will see him as a threat that needs to be disposed of--listen to me.”  Sif urged, her voice lowering in volume.  “It wasn’t by chance that he ordered Thor to try and--to follow his orders.  If he knew about Loki’s real parentage, his adoption, then he knew Loki was trying to get you out.  He’s more intelligent and crafty than anyone ever likes to let on, and he knew that if he could make Loki change then he can validate killing him at the very worse, exile him at the very best and make him an enemy in the process.  If you go back then you prove to him that you will continue to try and escape and he’ll see killing Loki as the only option left.  Natasha, look at me.”  With two fingers Natasha’s chin was tipped up, but Natasha slammed her eyes shut, hot salt tears carving new tracks down her face.  “There’s nothing else you can do.  I’m sorry.”  

“How did you know all this?” Natasha demands, still not looking at the woman, concentrating on her breathing instead and keeping her voice steady.  Her nails bit into her palms, very nearly drawing blood, as she tried to calm her heart down, keep herself level.  She still couldn’t look the woman in the eye, not yet.  She’d gouge the wolf’s eyes out or scratch her face to pieces if she did, concentration and control be damned.  “And why didn’t you share it with Loki?”

“Thor had a hunch and he shared it with me when Loki came to visit you one day.”  Sif admitted.  They were moving again, Nat looking up just in time to see the door of her house opening as Sif led her inside.  She struggled once more but Sif didn’t relent, not until the door was shut and the two of them were very much alone.  “Fury had been intentionally keeping Loki busy flitting between members of the pack to keep you two apart.  Once Fury learned of what you’d done, well, it only got worse.”  

Natasha swore and Sif’s grip on her relented, the black haired woman moving to stand in front of the door.  Natasha watched her move from the corner of her eye, unsure what to expect from her.  She was stuck, as ever, unless she took to trying to leap through one of the few windows she’d been allowed.  It was a valid option.  As it was she needed to occupy her hands, needed something to do, or throw if worst came to it.  As she stepped closer to her bed, making a show of picking up the shards of the jug she’d used against Fury earlier that day, she demanded: “How can you stand to follow him when he uses people like this?  You know that isn’t right.”  

“He placates the masses, and a lone wolf doesn’t stand a chance, not when there are people like your own who would gladly do away with us the first chance they get.”  Sif sounded regretful, and Nat chanced a glance over at her.  Her expression had hardened significantly, eyes cast over to the wall as though it had done her personal wrong, hands balled into fists at her side, whole body rigid, as though expecting a fight.  “And without a way to grow a pack through childbirth, well, it’s near impossible to strike out on one’s own.  It’s why he’s so keen to test his theories on you.”

“And so this justifies his actions?” Nat spat, turning away.  

“No, just explains them.  In no way could his choices be justified.” Sif said fiercely.  In a half a breath she’d stepped closer to Nat and tipped her chin up, catching her eyes.  “I’m not trying to do that.  You asked, I answered.”

“Thank you for that,” Natasha said, honest. “And I’m sorry.”

“What for?”

Nat didn’t respond, slamming her fist full of broken pottery into Sif’s face, the jagged edges seeking out the woman’s skin and cutting into it.  Sif snarled and backed up, clutching at her face as it bled, and Nat regretted having to hurt her but she wasn’t going to be defenseless ever again.  She sprinted from the door and through the village, doing her best to replicate the steps Fury had taken to drag her to the center square.  Loki was gone, as was Thor, and her heart sank.  No.  No she couldn’t be too late!  In her surprise she took too long in scampering away, the eyes of the rest of the pack turning on her, some of them already turned into huge wolves, the rest still feral in appearance with bright eyes and sharper teeth than normal.  Fury was among those still in their human form, and the way his lips twisted upwards as he caught sight of her had Natasha backtracking so quickly she nearly tripped over her own feet.  A wolf steadied her from behind, bright yellow and blue eyed, eyes that apologized for far more than any of the others.  Steve.  Fury gave a low bark and in half a minute Steve had transformed back just behind her, one hand wrapped around her forearm as he pulled her further back.  She felt her energy being sapped as he pulled her away, and though she still did her best to fight him off it didn’t have any effect, as though his body was made of steel, impenetrable and unbreakable.  If Sif was strong, well, Steve was a whole other matter entirely.  By the time he’d pulled her into a different house, his she later assumed, and laid her on the bed she was completely broken down once more, sobbing into his pillows as he mounted her.  He did his best to soothe her, a hand running up and down her body.  He didn’t even give her the relief of his absence when he finished, laying down besides her trembling body and apologizing into her hair as she curled into herself, drained emotionally and physically.  There was no escape, she realized as her eyes closed, exhaustion hitting her in the gut and taking what little she had left as recompense for her foolish thoughts of escape from before.  

  

Before the week was up they’d each had their turn with her, and though she was loathe to call it that there was really no other explanation.  In their own ways they’d tried to be as sweet to her as possible.  Steve had attempted to comfort her through it, Stark had been quick and efficient, leaving her to her thoughts and a mug of ale afterwards, Clint had put his mouth to the apex of her thighs beforehand, and even as her body responded in earnest her heart had been empty.  Bruce had gone slow, thinking perhaps a change of pace might be what she wanted, and Thor?  Thor was as much a wreck as she was, looking as though he hadn’t slept for days, and holding her through her sobs after he’d finished the deed, trying to assure her with empty words that his brother was alright, sounding very much like he’d told himself the same thing over and over.  It made no difference; she was never getting away, and though she tried to accept it, to get over it, each morning greeted her with a heavy heart and a weight so great on her shoulders she thought she’d never stand straight again.  She’d once been so proud of herself for having risen out of a similar situation, and now she saw that for all her pride fate had decided to punish her again.  There was nothing else she could do about it.  

 

Three months passed and nothing happened, three months of being changed over between the five men, some taking a few days with her to try and get a favorable reaction, seeing if one would be particularly potent, or if the different phase of the moon would have any effect.  None.  As she’d said: she was unable to have children.  When would Fury learn?  Hadn’t she proved that it was impossible?  Still he didn’t let her go, still he visited once a month to see if her courses had come, thinking that because they hadn’t it was a good sign.  He never picked up on the fact that she hadn’t gotten them for some years.  

 

Clint came back to her one evening after they’d finished and he’d allowed them both time to clean up.  He was just hiking up his trousers, replacing the belt when he looked over to where Natasha was pulling on a dress.  “Do you . . . are you hungry?” He asked, as though nothing had just happened.  As if they’d just finished some kind of sick work out.  She tried not to laugh, looking at him with the smallest of smirks on her face.

“Hungry?”

“Yeah,” he said with a shrug, trying not to look embarrassed as he pulled his shirt over his head.  “Hungry.  Ready to eat.  Phil thought maybe, well, he wanted to know if you would like to join us for dinner.”

Natasha had met Phil before, had liked the mousy-brown furred wolf.  He was kind, soft spoken and well mannered with a well deserved edge to his every words.  In passing Steve had once told her how he used to be Fury’s right hand man until he took a blow that nearly killed him from another wolf and decided to take a break.  It was too bad, Nat had though.  He could’ve leveled the bastard out.  “I guess.  You sure he won’t mind eating with the girl you’re forced to--.”

“He invited you.  Thought some decent company might help.”  Clint said quickly, cutting her off.  Nat couldn’t blame him.  She thought it over as she tied her hair in a thick braid, fingers moving out of muscle memory.  Though there was a time when she couldn’t bare to look Barton in the eyes, and though she still found it difficult it was, at the very least, getting a little easier.  But having dinner with him and his significant other, the one who was constantly passed up because of some sick service Barton had to perform?  Her stomach twisted at thought.  

“He doesn’t blame you for what’s happening,” Barton assured her.  He had stepped closer as Natasha had lost herself in her thoughts, and now knelt in front of her, capturing her attention.  His gaze was bright, forgiving and apologetic at the same time, exactly what she’d come to expect from the man.  “None of us hold anything against you.  We just want to make it as, well, painless as we possibly can.  That’s a tall order, but we’re trying Tasha.”  

She nodded, biting her bottom lip as she looked away.  She knew they didn’t have a choice, that they were all doing their best to make her comfortable when the situation wasn’t any better for them.  They had significant others, partners who were being shunted to the side because of Fury’s inability to accept that Natasha couldn’t get pregnant.  It was no less their fault for having to follow the orders given than it was hers for being held down night after night as they pressed themselves into her, and while it might have gotten better she couldn’t imagine what the others on the other side of the situation were going through.  

“Alright,” she finally said, voice quiet.  “I’ll go.  Give me a minute?  I’d better put on a better dress.”

Dinner, to her great surprise, had been pleasant.  Phil had done his best to make her feel at home, embracing her quickly when she’d walked through and leading her through his and Clint’s small home.  She’d never been there before, the men preferring to go about their business away from where they lived their lives.  Not that she could blame them, though she was left with the memories no matter where she went in her own house.  Either way theirs was nice, smelling of a roast that had been going all day, enough to make Natasha’s stomach growl, though when they did sit down to eat she found she could hardly eat anything.  Phil gave her a sympathetic look, one she’d once found herself despising, and now appreciated as he took her hand in his and squeezed.  Clint, too, was doing his best to be as kind to her as he could be, and while he wasn’t as good with his words as Phil was he showed it well enough, pulling out the chair for her, helping retrieve the plates so she and Phil could talk, rubbing one of her shoulders gently before he passed.  She shot them both appreciative looks before heading out, some bread and vegetables in a small sack given to her by Phil, making her way into the dark of the evening.

One thing she found, she realized as she stepped on sure, soft feet, was that she was no longer afraid.  What worse could happen to her than what she’d already been through?  

 

Tony called her into his workshop one day, having visited her the night before to ask if she could meet him there.  Bruce was also waiting when she walked in, looking around curiously at the two.  What was going on?  Bruce’s face split into a small smile at the sight of her confusion and stood up to walk to her.  

“Hey, sorry for all the secrecy,” he murmured.  “But we wanted to have you try something and thought it would be best to keep Fury’s nose out of it.”  

That didn’t help with her confusion, though she appreciated the thought, and let him lead her back to where Tony was working.  The room was hot, filled with sweet, warm fumes wafting around the ceiling, clouding Natasha’s mind as she inhaled.  

“What is it?” She asked, feeling herself smile for the first time in a long while.  It was beautiful, the colors and smells.  Tony looked over at Bruce and the latter gave a small shrug.  

“It’s a potion that might help you with conceiving.  We think one of the reasons you cannot is because there’s something internal that blocks it out. You’ve associated mating with negativity for so long that, perhaps, what might help is if you viewed it in a more enjoyable fashion.  This,” Steve raised the small vial he’d just poured a deep blue liquid into.  “Will do just that.  Make it enjoyable.  It won’t weigh on your conscience, either, what happens.  It all just goes a little blurry, no different from drinking too much.”  

Natasha swallowed hard, looking up to the two of them.  “So you want me to take it?”

“If you don’t mind.  If it works, then Fury doesn’t have to know.  He’ll only make you take it all the time if that’s the problem, and if it doesn’t, well then I can honestly tell him I’ve tried everything,” Stark said.  

Nat eyed the liquid, unsure, but shrugged and emptied it in a single swallow.  The effect was immediate.  Her skin felt too warm, like she needed to wriggle out of it, but her mind was nothing but peace and all sensation.  The hard ground beneath her feet, the warmth of Bruce’s fingers as he ran them up her shoulder.  She turned her head slowly, or rather it felt slowly but the whole world moved fast around her, and smiled.  Allowed him to press his lips to hers as Tony brought his own to her shoulder.  

They didn’t bother moving to a bed, Tony doing his best by throwing an old blanket down beneath the, but for Natasha it didn’t matter.  She moaned and bucked her hips as Bruce filled her first, then Tony took his place, the world moving quickly as she sank deeper into the mire that the drink had created for her.  Everything was peace, pleasure, enjoyable.  Nothing hurt.  It wasn’t a terrible way to live.  

 

It didn’t work.  Her belly never grew, she didn’t get sick, and Fury grew more angry by the day.

 

Steve took her out hunting once, after asking her kindly not to run away, and led her out into the woods.  She was given a small dagger, sure that he was simply trying to prove that he trusted her with it, his smile a little uncertain as she took the weapon from him.  Where else would she go, though, she wondered when Steve kept looking back at her to make sure that she stayed with him.  He would catch her, Loki was gone, and she was almost positive her own people would sent her back the first chance they got.  She sighed and stuck close, at least grateful for the fresh air and the change of scenery.  The knife felt heavy in her hands, and though there was a time when she was familiar with a blade like this now she found it had turned into a stranger.  Steve smiled when she tried throwing it, watched as it veered sharply to the left.  

“Nice,” Steve teased as Natasha went to retrieve it, shooting him a look as he laughed.  “Lemme guess, the next goes in my back?”

“Nah.  Your throat to keep you from talking.”  But she chanced a half smile at him.  He mirrored it.  Together they managed to take down a couple deer, and back in his house Steve showed her how to skin them, break them down, and fillet the meat from the bones.  Half of a deer was given to Natasha, though she feared it would go bad from lack and want of use, while the other half was cooked up by Steve, who invited Nat to stay for dinner.  Afterwards, they brought the second deer to be split between two households, both of which had caught an illness while on a mission and had little energy to hunt for themselves.  

“Do you do that often?” Nat asked Steve when they left.  He shrugged.

“When I can.  It helps to assist those who need it when I can, and if I have the ability why not do something nice?”  

Nat nodded, wrapping her arms around herself.  Even without Fury breathing down their necks the community went on, grew stronger; there was no need for him to bark orders when they had men like Steve Rogers looking out for everyone else.  

“You should be the Alpha,” she murmured.  Steve stopped in a heartbeat, staring at her.  

“Don’t say that,” his said quietly, face going pale.

“Why?”

“Just don’t.  Please.”  He squeezed her shoulder as he led her back to her own house.  Her body stiffened a little, knowing what was coming, but could not stop it as ever.  He took her slowly, making her gasp and whine in spite of herself, her body responding automatically now.  He moaned her name as her hips bucked, chasing her own orgasm.  As ever he finished buried inside of her, nose pressed to her shoulder as he breathed her in and whispered her name.  Sometimes, if she closed her eyes hard enough, it was just enough to make her believe he cared for her, and this close to the edge of sleep it sounded just enough like Loki to soothe her into subconsciousness.  

 

“What’s going on?” Natasha asked Thor, looking up from her place in bed, having awoken to the sound of the now lumbering around wolf.  He was tense, the muscles in his back refusing to relax as he pulled on his leggings, then his tunic.  “Thor--what’s happening?”

“You’ll see soon enough,” he murmured, looking back sadly at her.  “As it is I cannot say.  Not yet.”  

That never boded well.  She swallowed thickly, pulling on her thin dress.  It hung more loosely off of her body than it had when she’d first gotten it, showing just how much weight she’d lost around her midsection and hips.  She’d been hardly eating since Loki had left, only doing so because she knew the others would be forced to make her if she did not.  

By whatever God ruled the universe she hated Nicholas Fury, and as she did every morning she envisioned getting out of there after killing him, this time stabbing him through the neck to watch him choke and suffocate. It was what got her through the day, the only way she could remotely force herself to get up.  She washed her face slowly, not wanting to go any faster than she had to, but Thor was antsy, hands tapping quickly against his forearm once he’d folded them around his midsection.  

There was once more a crowd gathered in the circle, though this time it was more relaxed, almost excited.  A stark difference from the man that led her forward, through the group, just nervous enough to pass on the feeling to Natasha.  What the hell was she being led to now?  Fury waited at the center, as ever, with the rest of the men she’d become so intimate with in the past few months.  From the smug, self-satisfied smirk on his face it was all Natasha could do not to deck him, to beat his skull in with her own bare hands.  He read the fire in her eyes and smirked.  He raised a hand, a signal for it to quiet, and it seemed that even the wind stopped to listen to what he had to say.  

“My people, it is a momentous occasion.indeed.  In two days time, at the celebration of the full moon, we will be bringing another into our pack.  Natasha Romanov.”  He said with a grin.  A cry of praise rose through the crowd while Natasha’s heart sank.  No.  No!  

 


	6. Chapter 6

“I’m not doing it.”  Her eyes met Tony’s as he stepped around to help fix the low-hanging sash around her waist, deep black in color, nearly as dark as Tony’s hair.  Steve moved her head back to face him, two fingers coated in a dark blue paint stretching slowly down her forehead, two separate lines that stopped just at her brow, covering them to either side, then stretching over across each eye as well as underneath so she had a sort of half cross on the top half of her face.  

“You have to,” Tony murmured and once more Natasha looked down at him.  

“No.” She said again, her eyes narrowing at Steve now when he pulled her head back.  This time green paint made half circles on her cheeks from the base of her ear to the start of her jaw on both sides of her face. She tried pulling away, but Steve clenched her jaw a little harder than he meant, Nat’s wince not going unnoticed.  He murmured an apology, but dragged his fingertips down her throat, stopping at her collarbone, the blue fading near the very end.  His green fingers trailed from the middle of each shoulder town to her upper forearm.  The thin blue and gold scarf around her breasts barely concealed them, and as Tony moved to adjust it, rolling it again to try and afford her some more modest, Nat just snorted.  She was too well endowed for that.  Her arms wrapped around her chest to try and cover herself up further, frowning at them both.  

“There’s not a choice here, Nat.  He thinks changing you will heal yourself.  Bringing new blood in.”

“Why didn’t he do it before me?” She demanded.  “You can’t say that the thought hasn’t crossed his mind before he saw me and my village.”  

Neither looked at her at that, making her heart race.  Uh-oh.  “Guys.  Don’t do that.  When you get quiet it doesn’t ever mean anything good.”

“No one else has survived after the bite,” Tony said, voice quiet, eyes barely reaching hers.  Steve’s hand shot out to squeeze her hand.  She went still, breath caught and heart stopping, she swore, for half a moment.  

That was all it took before she burst out laughing, doubling over as her body shook with laughter, eyes dripping tears of mirth that caught on the paint on her face.  She might’ve fallen to the ground if not for Steve’s arms catching her.

“Are you alright?” Steve asked, concerned, confused, and looking from Tony to Nat.

“At least--at least,” she gasped for breath.  “At least it won’t be for long.  At least death fucks,” here she started laughing once more.  “At least death fucks us all in the end.”  She broke off again, unable to stop herself until she was red in the face and out of breath, having fallen into Steve’s arms without any strength left in her legs.  She’d found escape, at least.  Above she could hear Steve’s quiet breath, Tony’s murmured curse, and their hands straightening her out, getting her ready to meet whatever came next.  

 

Above them the moon was full, casting enough light onto the ground that the torches illuminating their way almost seemed superfluous, but still Natasha couldn’t deny she was grateful of them.  They looked normal, felt normal, as though she could have been going to a regular gathering.  One with humans, where she’d eat, dance, and enjoy an evening.  

This was not going to be like that, no matter how hard she tried to think it would be.  Steve’s hand clasped hers and helped her along.  Nat hadn’t been allowed to go to any of the full moon celebrations in the past, having only been human, and one whose body had been misbehaving according to how Fury wanted it to.  She’d listened to the way they all howled and raced through the town, snarls making her skin crawl and cries sending shivers up her spine as they payed homage to the moon with their voices.  More often than not she’d fallen asleep with a pillow over her head to try and drown out the noises that fueled her nightmares.  Now, it seemed, she was destined to join in with them in the end so long as the toxin, the bite, took to her.  

In the back of her mind she honestly hoped it didn’t.  

The others gazed at her reverently as she was paraded through the crowd, her own eyes trying not to take notice of the way they were ogling her breasts or her backside.  A shiver of subconsciousness traveled through her and she wrapped her arms as protectively around herself as she could.  Not that it would matter.  If she changed, as she’d seen many of them do, she’d shred through her clothing as quickly as a warrior shredded his opponent with his sword and it wasn’t something she was looking forward to.  

“You okay?” Steve asked quietly in her ear.  Nat looked over at him, eyes narrowed as though to check if he was really asking her that question, and he sighed, nodding his understanding.  “Right.  Stupid question.”  

Yeah it was.  

The others she’d become so intimately acquainted with had gathered at the very front, as well as Fury.  He she openly glowered at.  She wasn’t going to do this.  Wasn’t.  

“Hold her arms and turn her around,” Fury ordered, looking to Thor and Clint.  Nat’s jaw clenched as she tried to shake Steve and Tony off.  She’d barely gotten a step or two back before Thor’s broad hands clenched her forearm, careful to miss the paint that stained her skin, to hold her still.  His eyes bled apologies and Nat swallowed hard as he held her still, her front to the masses and her back to Fury, the last place she wanted it.  A hush fell over the crowd in front of her and she swallowed hard, feeling her heart pulsing hard enough to choke her, break her ribs and end her right then and there as they press even harder into her lungs.  One of Fury’s hands moved to her neck, curling his fingers slightly around her throat, his thumb holding hard onto the back of her neck.  

“Hold still,” he murmured in her ear, breath reeking of wine and meat and decay of some sort that made her want to retch.  As if she wasn’t having a hard enough time holding onto what little she’d managed to hold down earlier.  Fury straightened.  

“Tonight we gather not only to celebrate the moon, but to celebrate the welcoming of one more member into our pack.  Our family.”  She can hear the smirk in his voice and she resists the urge to bite him, first, but his hand is too tight on her neck.  “I will bestow upon her the grace and privilege of our connection to the earth, our gift of change and metamorphosis.  Should the moon think she is worthy she will be one of us from this day until the end of our days.”  

A low howl echoed around as a sign that the others agreed, their eyes alight with the moon’s shine, making them even more ethereal than before.  Fury gave a quiet chuckle as he felt Nat’s pulse quicken beneath his grip.  

“Are you ready?”

“Go to hell,” she growled, trying to shift her head over to glare at him.  He shoved her head to the side so hard that she felt the bone creak.  He shifted his hand to the side of her head and white-hot pain speared through the side of her neck.  Nat shouted, screamed even, as the fire seared her from the inside out, and she arched back to scratch at his face in an attempt to get him off of her.  It didn’t work, but he pulled away a minute later as she shrieked again and again, voice going hoarse as she channeled her pain through her voice.  

She was dropped down to the hard, cold ground a moment later, her back arched as her hands clenched at the ground.  She ripped up the grass and drew blood from biting the inside of her cheek, white stars bursting in the back of her eyes.  Nothing she’d ever had hurt like this, nothing made her ache like this as her blood burned in her veins.  Her whole body was being ripped apart, piece by piece until she was nothing but fire and pure, utter sensation.  

It passed after what must have been an eternity, when the dull roar had left her ears and the heavy ache was setting into her bones.  A pair of calloused hands--Tony’s, she was guessing by the size, gripped her by the arms gently as she was hoisted to her feet.  Tears clouded her eyes as she tried to look up at him, blinking them away as she gasped for air, light headed and about to throw up.  As though it wasn’t bad enough she’d noticed that everything else smelled differently.  Stronger.  Headier.  Her head swam with the new sensations, the new scents stranger than anything she’d ever known before.  When she moved her head everything seemed to shift in a different fashion, slower, a trail of light following the torches as she turned to look at Tony.  

“Did--Did?”  Her tongue felt too heavy for her mouth.  

“You’re not dead,” he said with a chuckle, and she could feel the laugh reverberating in his body as it echoed through the pair of them.  She nodded and tried to focus on breathing in and out of her nose, the give and take of air to her brain.  It at least helped her focus on something other than the dull throbbing now moving from her chest to her stomach, and again she wondered if she’d be able to stop herself from dry heaving until her stomach made its way up her throat.  

Not even then would she die, she figured with a scowl on her face.  Fate, it seemed, had determined that she was to live, at least thus far.  Her knees started to give out as he tried to lead her over to the others.  

“I don’t think she’ll be up to running with us tonight,” Tony said.  “Permission to stay with her and ensure she stays healthy--.”

“Denied.  Banner, I want you to stay behind.  You’re the physician,” Fury said, looking to the dark, curly haired man.  Nat could practically hear the man gulp, and she felt herself stiffen, too.  Bruce was the most difficult to deal with during the full moon, not of his own volition but simply just the way that fate had dealt him his hand in life.  More than once she’d been worried about not stressing him out or making him too nervous too close to the full moon, and now she, a new werewolf maybe, was being left alone with him when he was supposed to be his most volatile?  

If Fury wasn’t trying to kill her now he sure as hell was fooling her.  

None of the others said a word, likely because they couldn’t, and even now Nat could feel Fury’s pull on her as he ordered her to stand straight and go with Bruce.  An odd sensation animated her bones, making her stiffen with a newfound strength before stepping through the crowds.  Hands reached out from everywhere to touch her, feel that she was real, she was one of the pack.  Emotion surged through her, an odd mixture of gratitude and fear, as Bruce wrapped his hand around her waist.  

“You’re fine,” he said, and though his voice was gruff she took a certain amount of strength from it.  “I’ve got you.”

Yes, but how long?  

 

Her bed was too hot for her already warm skin, and she thrashed on it while Bruce watched on.  

“Is it--supposed--to be--like this?” She asked between gasps.  The fever had started an hour or so after the others had left, howling and leaving their old forms behind, and Nat hadn’t been able to find solace since then.  Her skin felt too heavy and too hot for her to ever get comfortable again, and judging by the change in smell Bruce was going through the fever as well, the heat ripping through the pair of them leaving behind a scent of what could only be described as other.  

“It’ll pass.  Eventually,” Bruce growled, his head stuffed in his hands.  “How’s your heart?”

“It hurts--feels like--like it’s gonna pop.  Pop outta my chest.”  She whimpered.  She’d long since divested herself of the scarves covering her, the flimsy cloth having felt like the heaviest of blankets on her breast and pelvis--and what did it matter anyway when Bruce had already seen her naked?--but the linens of her bed weren’t doing her any favors either, scratching her skin until she was sure she would bleed at any given second.  

“It’ll pass.  Just keep breathing.  Water?”  It was a sign of how far gone Bruce was that he’d stopped forming complete and full sentences, and when he looked up his eyes were bright green, the strangest and only sign that he was on the edge.  Nat just nodded, not wanting to disagree with him about anything, and when he stood to get her a cup he tipped over the chair.  The clatter of the wood on the floor seemed to be all he needed, and in an instant a roar ripped through him that terrified Nat more than it should have.  He turned and snarled at Nat, who tried to scamper away, whimpering at the sight of the now transforming man.  His eyes were completely not his own any more, his teeth lengthening, and just as he roared at her once more something hit him square on the back of the head.  Blood pooled from the wound as he dropped, passed out, to the ground.

If she hadn’t known him before Nat would’ve never guessed it was Loki, but even with the deep red eyes, the blue skin, and the odd lines running up and down his body she could see that it was him.  His name barely left her lips as he extended a hand to her.  

“Let’s go.  Quick, before everyone else comes back and sees what I’ve done.”

“But I’m--,” she tried, her breaths turning into pants as the odd scent of him hit her nose.  But it wasn’t bad, not as bad as Steve had complained about what seemed a lifetime ago.  “And you’re--.”

“Natasha I’m not leaving you here.  I promised you I’d get you out and I will.  Now come with me,” he said, allowing himself to smile.  “I don’t care about what you are; you’ll be safe with me.”

His hand felt cool and better than the most soothing balm on her rough and hot skin, and he grabbed her shift from where she’d left it near the table to yank over her head before they left.  Before they got too far she tugged him closer and pressed her lips hard against his, pouring all of her appreciation, thanks, and affection into it.  He grinned when he pulled away, looking slightly dazed, but managing to get her out nonetheless.  

Though she worried about Bruce’s health not once did Natasha look back.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for how short this is, but I wanted at least one more update before November. As I said before, I'll be taking a break from writing my fanfics in order to work on my novel and hopefully hit the 50k word mark of NaNoWriMo! Thanks so much for understanding and I hope you at least liked the update!


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